Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a priority within the human resources department, and individuals who work in the human resources department are expected to protect the confidentiality of information the department processes or receives. In particular, the human resources department has a HIPAA officer who is specifically assigned to maintain confidentiality of employees' health-related information. Pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, employers are required to designate a privacy officer. The federal HIPAA law defines entities subject to the privacy as businesses that provide health care services, such as a hospital or clinic. According to Texas statutes, health care facilities and any other type of entity that stores, updates or maintains any health-related information is subject to the more stringent requirements of Texas privacy rules. In addition to health-related information for which confidentiality is important, other human resources information subject to privacy includes employees' personal contact information, salary and wage amounts, and any other sensitive information, such as licensing applications and new hire documentation. Finally, human resources staff members are responsible for maintaining confidentiality of employment actions, such as reasons for termination, employee discipline and performance appraisal information.