Policy brief & purpose

This policy explains how we expect Voices of Tasmania (VoT) volunteers and contractors to treat confidential information. Volunteers and contractors may have access to personal information about other volunteers and confidential electorate information. This policy outlines our expectations for how this information is handled.

Scope

This policy affects all volunteers, contractors and others who may have access to confidential information.
Confidential information may include, but is not limited to:

  • Unpublished financial information
  • Volunteer data including personal information
  • Voter intent and other research data
  • Data entrusted to our organisation by external parties
  • Policy information and other undisclosed strategic information
  • Election plans and calendars
  • Documents and processes explicitly marked as confidential
  • Unpublished objectives and strategies

Contractors and volunteers may have various levels of authorised access to confidential information.

What contractors and volunteers should do:

  • Lock or secure confidential information at all times
  • Shred confidential documents when they’re no longer needed
  • Make sure they only view confidential information on secure devices
  • Only disclose information to other contractors and volunteers when it’s necessary and authorised
  • Keep confidential documents inside the campaign office unless it’s absolutely necessary to move them

What contractors and volunteers shouldn’t do:

  • Use confidential information for any personal benefit, leverage or profit
  • Disclose confidential information to anyone outside of the Voices team
  • Replicate confidential documents and files and/or store them on insecure devices

If volunteers or contractors leave the organisation, they’re obliged to return any confidential files and delete them from their personal devices.

Confidentiality Measures

We’ll take measures to ensure that confidential information is well protected. We’ll:

  • Store and lock paper documents where appropriate
  • Encrypt electronic information and safeguard databases
  • Ask for authorisation by senior VoT members to allow access to certain confidential information

Exceptions

Confidential information may occasionally have to be disclosed for legitimate reasons, for example if a regulatory body requests it as part of an investigation or audit or as otherwise required by law. In such cases, contractors/volunteers involved should document their disclosure procedure and collect all needed authorisations. We’re bound to avoid disclosing more information than needed.

Disciplinary Consequences

We’ll investigate every breach of this policy. Volunteers/contractors who breach this confidentiality policy may face disciplinary action, and in certain circumstances their relationship with VoT may be terminated. Volunteers/contractors who breach this policy may also face legal action.

Policy Updates

This policy may change from time to time and is available on our website.

Policy Complaints and Enquiries

If you have any queries or complaints about this policy please contact us.