Unit 2 working in a business LO1 - Understand protocols to be followed when working in business

Authority protocols provide a framework for employees to follow. They are usually associated with the different levels of responsibility that employees and meanagers have in the business hierarchy.

On decision making.

Employees are trained to carry out day to day tasks, such as providing customer service. However, sometimes a task or a problem needs to be escalated to their line manager because they have greater authority. For example if a customer has a complaint that hte employee has failed to resolve to the customer's satisfaction the manger could have the authority to provide financial recompense such as gift vouchers.  

On authorisation.

Employees may not have the authority to carry out certain tasks, such as signing letters or authorising payment. In this case, responsibility sits with their manager, e.g an employee may agree a lease for new premises but will refer this to their line manager for final authorisation. 

Authority protocols enable a manager to delegate taks to a subordinate while overseeing the outcome. This provides a checking procedure. For example if an employee makes an error either in a document or payment calculation, then the manager acts as a doublecheck to make sure the information is accurate. 

Authority protcols are also lower the risk of fraud if more than 1 person is involved in the preperation and authorisation of payments. 

Organisational procedures to maintain confidentiality

Business can introduce a range of organisational procedures with the aim of maintaining confidentiality, including:

- ensuring that only those who need to see specific information have access to it. 

- using the bcc line in emails to several external recipients to that email addressses are not shared. 

- requiring employees to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) if they have access to confidential information i.e they will not discuss this information with anyone that has not signed the agreement. 

- business can include in a job description that disclosing confidential will be deemed gross misconduct. 

Manual storage

includes the use of secured filing cabinets for hard copies of documentation and ensuring that confidential documents are not removed from premesis

Electronic data

Can be stored securly by password-protecting computers. This ensures that only the individual that the computers belongs to is able to access the data and documents, as long as the password is not shared. Network passwords can be used to that only thoose employyees provided with the passord can access certain documents. In addition, passords can also be used to protect data back-ups from unauthorised access. 

If confidentiality is breached there are implications for the individual(s) concerned, as well as the business itself. 

- Breaching confidentiality is considered gross misconduct which may result in dismissal. They would also be unlikely to recieve a reference, so future employability may be affected too.Legal action could be taken by the busines against the individual were there a breach of legislation such as the Data Protection Act. 

- If the breach reveals confidentail infromation about an employee or customer e.g personal or bank details, this could have serious implications such as loss of trust in the business and risk of identity theft.

- the implications of revealing business infromaton depends on who sees it. For example then it will have an opportunity to react by bringing forward on its own expansion plans, proir to the details being made public. Alternatively, if employees access plans for large-scale redundencies staff morale and productivity are likely to fall. 

Some employees may attemot to utilise confidentialty protocols for personal gain. For example an employee who has access to the payment system may think that they can access funds without staff knowing but if they are suspected of embezzlement or fraud then their emails and documents can be accesssed to find out whether or not this is the case. 

Alternativley, there may be times when an employee must be contacted in an emergenct e.g a manager if the warehouse is flooded during the night) then the home telephone number needs to be provided so they can be contacted