Re: deleting of records, opinion question

Bernard Peek <bap_at_shrdlu.com> wrote:

>slinky wrote:
>> I'm looking for someone, someone I can get an email from confirming
>> their opinion for presenting a standard for deleing employees in an HR
>> database.

     Opinions are a dime a dozen or cheaper. See a lawyer.

>> The issue is we have thousands of workers and hire several each day,
>> some of whom we make an offer but they fail to show. Once the offer
>> has been made we open a record for them even though they may not show.
>> We want to, and and IS dept. to convince that these records must not
>> be deleted.
>
>I'm not an HR person but I do recruit people. I would like to know about
>these no-shows so that I can avoid offering a job to them in future. But
>in the UK there are strict regulations that require any personal data to
>be purged when it is no longer useful.

     You have just described a use, so what is the problem? Having said that, the law might forbid you to do so. See a lawyer.

>> I need a solid opinion form an HR database person who can state their
>> views on this.
>
>It's not a database issue, it's a business issue. If the business is
>willing to pay someone to delete the records and the project sponsor
>will sign a piece of paper to authorise it then the business has spoken
>and IS should execute the decision.

     Unless illegal.

     The area of law has people who are expert in it, much as the computer field does. See one of these experts.

>In general I am in favour of the UK approach where the business has to
>have a justification for holding personal data, and is required to
>review its decisions regularly. In this case the business doesn't appear

     That sounds fair.

>to be able to justify retaining the data and I'm curious about why you
>want to influence the decision. It's not really a database theory issue
>so feel free to take this to email if you prefer.

      Quite.

[snip]

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

Computerese Irregular Verb Conjugation:

     I have preferences.
     You have biases.
     He/She has prejudices.