ChurchSafety

Churches are entrusted with a wealth of private information about individuals in its congregation.  They expect you to keep it private.  With our simple tips, you can be well on your way to becoming a church office your congregation trusts.

• Limit access to paper records.  Paper records are an obvious privacy risk.  Store them securely and limit access only to those who need it.
  
  
• Secure electronic records.  Today's churches store a significant amount of information electronically.  Be sure to secure electronic information included in emails, financial records and employee evaluations. 
  
  
• What's yours is yours. While the temptation is there, make it a practice not to share login names and passwords.  Establish a tiered system of access based on who is logging into the system.
  
  
• When in doubt, leave it out. Private information is easily shared in everyday conversations. Even something as harmless as explaining why a particular person missed a scheduled nursery assignment can convey details that should not have been shared with others.
  
  
• It's hip to know HIPAA. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) gives patients more control over how health information is shared. Be sure you understand the rules before disclosing private health information through prayer lists and bulletin updates.
  
  

• Obey the law. Build your retention policy on solid ground.  Start by reviewing state or federal requirements for document retention.
  
  
• Establish an expiration date.  Develop a system for identifying documents that no longer need to be retained.  When the expiration date comes around, take a second look before destroying it.
  
  
• Destroy records properly. The church office is no place to cut corners on document destruction.  Be sure to properly destroy hard files and have a plan for dealing with expired electronic information.
  
  

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