Employee privacy policy template
A free, ready-to-edit employee privacy policy template for Australian workplaces. Set out how you collect, use, store and disclose staff personal information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles — building trust and meeting your transparency obligations. No signup required.
Employee privacy policy
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By downloading, you agree to our template disclaimer
This employee privacy policy template reflects Australian privacy law at the time of publication and is provided as a general guide to adapt for your business — it is not legal advice. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.
What is an employee privacy policy?
An employee privacy policy is a formal document that explains how your business collects, uses, stores, discloses and protects workers’ personal information. It gives employees transparency about what data you hold and why, and gives you a consistent framework for handling that information responsibly.
Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), businesses must handle personal information openly and securely. While many employee records held by private-sector employers fall under the limited ‘employee records exemption’, a clear privacy policy is still best practice — and essential for the recruitment, contractor, health and surveillance information that the exemption does not cover. It demonstrates your commitment to protecting staff data and meets your transparency duties under APP 1 and APP 5.
The policy pairs naturally with your data protection policy and your record keeping policy. Store it and capture employee acknowledgements in your HR software so you can show every worker has read and understood how their information is handled.
What an employee privacy policy should cover
The essentials of handling staff personal information
Information collected
What personal and sensitive information you collect, from contact details to TFNs and health records.
Collection methods
How information is collected — directly from the employee and, where needed, from third parties.
Use & disclosure
Why information is used (payroll, super, performance) and when it is shared with third parties.
Storage & security
How employee data is stored securely and protected from misuse, loss or unauthorised access.
Access & correction
How employees can access their information and ask for inaccurate records to be corrected.
Data breach response
Steps to contain a breach and notify affected staff and the OAIC where required.
What's included in this template
Comprehensive coverage of your privacy obligations
Purpose & scope
Why the policy exists and which workers and information it covers.
Legislative framework
Reference to the Privacy Act 1988, the APPs and the Fair Work Act record-keeping rules.
Information we collect
Personal, sensitive and employment-related categories of information.
How we collect it
Collection directly from employees and from authorised third parties.
Use & disclosure
The purposes information is used for and when it may be shared.
Data quality & accuracy
The commitment to keeping records accurate and up to date.
Security & storage
Technical, physical and administrative safeguards protecting staff data.
Access & correction rights
How employees request access to, and correction of, their information.
Data breach response
Containment, assessment and notification under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
Review & acknowledgement
How the policy is maintained and the employee sign-off.
Getting employee privacy right
What Australian employers need to know about handling staff data
The employee records exemption has limits
The Privacy Act includes an exemption for certain employee records held by private-sector employers, but it is narrower than many assume. It does not cover prospective employees, contractors, or information used outside the direct employment relationship. Treat all staff information carefully and check current employment law guidance before relying on the exemption.
Surveillance and monitoring need disclosure
Employers can monitor work systems, but staff must be told what is monitored and why — and some states have specific workplace surveillance laws. Set this out clearly and link it to your monitoring policy so expectations are unambiguous.
Handling a data breach
Contain
Act immediately to stop the breach and limit any further access or loss.
Assess
Evaluate whether the breach is likely to cause serious harm to anyone affected.
Notify
Tell affected individuals and the OAIC where the breach is notifiable.
Review
Identify the cause and update controls to prevent it happening again.
Under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, eligible data breaches must be reported to the OAIC and affected individuals as soon as practicable. Keep a clear, consistent process and document each step — your digital HR records give you the audit trail to show what happened and when.
The Fair Work Act also requires certain employee records — such as pay, hours and leave — to be kept for seven years after employment ends, with some records (workers compensation, superannuation) held longer under other laws. Set clear retention schedules in this policy and align them with your record keeping policy. The OAIC publishes detailed guidance on the APPs and the employee records exemption.
Who should use this template?
Every Australian employer that holds staff personal information
Especially important for businesses handling sensitive information, such as healthcare, aged care and finance.
Compliance resources
Official guidance on privacy, personal information and data breaches.
Keep employee data secure and organised
RosterElf helps Australian businesses store policies, capture acknowledgements at onboarding and keep employee records in one secure, auditable place.
Related guides
Build and maintain compliant workplace policies
Related templates
Round out your data and compliance framework
Data protection policy
Set the standards for securing and handling all company and customer data.
View templateRecord keeping policy
Guidelines for maintaining accurate employee records and retention periods.
View templateNew employee details form
Collect new starter information securely and consistently.
View templateEmployee privacy policy FAQ
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An employee privacy policy is a formal document that explains how a business collects, uses, stores, discloses and protects workers’ personal information. It gives staff transparency about what data is held and why, and helps the employer meet its obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles.
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Yes. The template is a solid foundation, but you should tailor it to your industry, the information you actually collect, and any state workplace surveillance laws that apply. Store the final version and track employee acknowledgements with HR policy management software.
Before you download
General information only — not legal advice
This document is a general HR template provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the latest changes in legislation or apply to every workplace situation. RosterElf Pty Ltd and the template provider accept no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this document. Users should seek independent legal advice and customise the template to ensure it complies with all relevant laws, awards and workplace requirements.