HR Data Management Assignment: Records, Absence, and Data Protection

This assignment solution addresses key aspects of HR data management. It begins by providing examples of primary employee records, detailing their importance for tasks like report generation and communication. The solution then emphasizes the significance of recording and utilizing absence data effectively, suggesting strategies for data analysis and operational planning. Furthermore, it recommends the use of a Personnel Database and Computerized Personnel Information Systems (CPIS) for efficient data storage and accessibility, particularly for organizations with multiple locations. The solution also explores the legal requirements of the Data Protection Act, highlighting the need for lawful, fair, and accurate data processing, as well as the importance of data minimization and employee access to their records. The assignment underscores the critical role of data management in supporting HR functions and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations.

Answer 2) two examples will be –
a) Primary employee records – These records will comprise of employee personal
information such as name, bank information, address, DOB, tax information and
insurance figure.
This data will help the HR department in various ways ranging from simple tasks such
as developing letters to more compound tasks such as producing reports. The letters
need to be produced by the HR department in relation with aspect like change in
working hours to the data about a sickness absence. The contact information of
employees will also be gathered from the primary employees’ records as stated above.
Some significant reports also need to be produced by the HR department and these
reports may relate to the age of the employees or the length of service within this
workforce. For a second time, HR department needs to look the primary records of the
employee to support.
b) Absence – It is important for any business enterprise to record the absence levels,
however, ultimately, if the data gathered is not used then it is of no real value to the
company.
If absence data is going to be any of use, it needs to be: (Daniel, 2010)
 Conveyed monthly.
 Reported alongside data that states at least the past 12 months.
 Matched with the rate for the industry.
 Fragmented down by the clutch of employees or by the department. (manual
or non-manual).
Recording absence levels will support the above stated businesses within the HR
department in many ways. For instance, if absence is very high in a particular month
then operationally, the enterprise may look at yearly trends and hence if they analyse
that November is a month where absence levels are specifically high they can
advantageously plan and prepare temporary cover in advance.

Answer 3) my recommendations will be as follows –
a) Primary employee records – As this enterprise has a large number of workforce
extend across 34 unlike stores in different areas through the United Kingdom: in my
opinion, they need to use Personnel Database. This will help in keeping the data
stored effectively. In addition, HR departments many need to access data from various
stores for reporting etc. therefore I feel it would be important to have a master
database for all the personnel. Some of the common examples of types of data kept on
database would be named, DOB, salary, address, etc. This data will be used in various
ways from starting from simple tasks to more comprehensive tasks such as building of
spreadsheet and reporting.
Martin et al cited that aligning database and employee records could be used in its raw
unprocessed form to drive out a letter. Moreover, it could be sorted out to recognise
who is due to leave or to compute salary costs for department.
b) Absence – I would suggest for this enterprise to store their absence rates with the help
of Computerised Personnel Information Systems (CPIS).
According to Daniel (2010), ‘with holding of personnel records and data, there are
also various others utilities that can be aligned into CPIS. These might not come up
with the standard packages, but they may be purchased as additional facilities’. Daniel
refers this function i.e. Absence Management.
One of the advantages of using CPIS in align with absence would be that all stores
would have access to absence data relating to every store with in the enterprise. This
will helps decision makers to effectively and efficiently identify the trends in relation
to all the stores.
Martin et al also refer to the fact that absence levels can be brought down by the
necessary actions taken by supervisor or managers, however, well records can also
help them to do this job. CPIS system will generate accurate data, therefore, making it
easier for supervisors to observe and evaluate.

Answer 5) According to government legislations, The National Archives cited that the Data
Protection Act is an ‘Act to make new provision for the regulation of the processing of
information in relation with individuals, including the locating, holding, use or disclosure of
such information’.
The major three aspects I have identified of the storage of information that needs to be
focused as a result of the Data Protection Act are as follows –
a) Data that is processed must be done lawfully and so fairly – As per Information
Commissioner’s Office (2012), ‘in practice, it means that you must:
 Have valid grounds for gathering and using personal data;
 Not use the information in any of the way impact individual concern with
having unjustified and adverse effect.
 Whatever the data u need to use, be transparent. Moreover, while collecting
personal data, it is necessary to give personal privacy notices.
 Handling of the individual personal data only in ways, they would reasonably
expect.
 Ensuring that one would not do anything unlawful with the data.
b) Stored data must be appropriate, adequate, and not excessive – This states that any
collected information must be appropriate to a particular job of the employee. One
must ensure that they do not hold more information than what is needed for a
particular purpose. The enterprise should recognise the minimum amount of data that
is required.
c) Stored data must be accurate and up to date. While collecting the data, necessary steps
must be considered to ensure information is correct.
According to the views of Martin et al ‘in employment one mode to achieve this is to
allow employees to check and even update their own archives.’