An organisation can collect a wide range of data which can help the business from their day to day running to a strategic, planning level. At the very least all businesses should hold personal details for their employees, such as their bank details to pay them each month or emergency contact numbers, in case you need to contact next of kin for any reason.
Data should also be kept for due diligence purposes when business transfers (TUPE) takes place. Employees are entitled to the same terms and conditions as their previous company and so when a transfer happens, the transferor has to make sure they are providing the required, detailed information to the transferee to complete proceedings.
1.2 Type of data that is collected and how it supports HR Practice
Attendance / Absence Data
It is useful to keep track of your employees’ attendance or sickness records, as not only will it help alert an employer to any potential issues with individuals but it may also come in useful for spotting trends. For example, are employees off with stress for particularly times of the year and if so, what can the employer do to ease this.
Appraisal Documents
This is particularly helpful when you are assessing an employer’s performance which may involve setting goals. By keeping these on record you can not only identify any training needs but use the documents as a reference for future reviews and planning.
1.3 Methods of storing records and the benefits of each
Two methods of storing records are manual and computerised.
Manual
Manual records refers to a paper based record keeping system, whereby files are physically stored in a secure and fire proof environment.
This method is easy to set up as it doesn’t involve having to learn a piece of software and is relatively cheap (though may be expensive to maintain). Furthermore, you are less likely to lose data through corrupt files, people accidentally deleting