The boring subject of employee privacy policies

Ah, employee privacy policies. The bane of every HR admin’s existence. You’d think that after all these years, we’d have figured out how to write a privacy policy that isn’t longer than War and Peace. But nope, we’re still stuck with these legalistic documents that no one actually reads. So, in the spirit of making employee privacy policies a little less boring, I’m going to try to inject a bit of humour into this topic. Here goes nothing.

What are employee privacy policies?

First of all, let’s talk about what employee privacy policies actually are. Essentially, they’re a set of rules that govern how your employer can use and share your personal information. This can include everything from your name and address to your social media accounts and medical records. Basically, if your employer knows something about you, it’s probably covered by the privacy policy.

Now, you might be thinking, “Why do I need a privacy policy? I’m not doing anything wrong.” And that’s a fair question. But the reality is that employers need to collect and use your personal information for a variety of reasons. For example, they might need to run a background check before they hire you, or they might need to share your information with a third-party supplier who provides benefits. And if your employer wants to use your information in a way that’s not covered by the privacy policy, they need your consent.

But who reads them?

But let’s be real, no one actually reads the privacy policy. It’s just too darn long and boring. And even if you did read it, you’d probably still have no idea what it actually means. That’s why I propose that we make employee privacy policies a bit more fun. How about we use emojis to explain what each section means? 🤔 = “we’re thinking about collecting this info,” 🤝 = “we might share this info with our partners,” 🚀 = “we’re launching a new app that needs access to all your data.” See? Much more interesting already.

Another way to make employee privacy policies more engaging is to turn them into a game. Hear me out. Imagine you’re playing a game of “Privacy Policy Bingo.” Every time you come across a legal term or jargon, you get to mark it off your card. And if you get five in a row, you win a prize! Maybe it’s a fancy pen or a gift card to Costa. Who wouldn’t want to play that game?

Or how about we turn employee privacy policies into a choose-your-own-adventure book? Instead of reading through a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo, you get to make decisions about what personal information you want to share with your employer. Do you want to allow your employer to track your location? Turn to page 12. Do you want to allow your employer to read your emails? Turn to page 28. It’s like “Goosebumps” for the workplace.

In all seriousness though, employee privacy policies are important.

They protect your personal information and give you some control over how your employer uses it. But that doesn’t mean they have to be boring. By injecting a bit of humour and creativity into these policies, we can make them more engaging and more likely to be read. So the next time you’re writing an employee privacy policy, try to think outside the box. Use emojis, turn it into a game, or make it a choose-your-own-adventure book. Your employees will thank you (and might actually read it).