Tricky matter of passwords and privacy

By MARIE WILSON

Q.I work for a private trust as financial administrator. Recently my boss asked me to give my passwords to the Mind Your Own Business (MYOB) and payroll system - two I operate.

I have not given the passwords yet, and am reluctant to do so, because in July someone got into the MYOB and deleted some entries. My password at that time was known to my boss.

Since then I have changed the password and only I can get into the system. An accounts assistant also uses the MYOB, but it is at her terminal and she cannot delete the entries I make.

As I am responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the accounts I do not think I should accede. Besides, I need my privacy and, under the Privacy Act, I think I can refuse. Could I have your thoughts?

A. I don't think the Privacy Act will be of much use to you in this situation - it's not really personal information and you know the purpose for which it is requested.

Reading between the lines, it seems that your concern is really the purpose for which it is being requested. You seem to suggest that your boss wishes to alter the accounts.

You are right to be concerned about such matters - your professional reputation and responsibility are associated with the accounts you are keeping for the trust.

It is, however, an unproven suspicion on your part, and I would urge you not to jump to conclusions - while still maintaining high standards for the safety of your accounts.

There are several options. You might start by asking your boss why she requires your passwords. If it is to be able to oversee the accounts, you could set her up with the same level of access that your assistant has, to view but not alter the accounts.

If your boss says it is to ensure access while you are on holiday or if something happens to you, then check with MYOB and see if there is an emergency override of the software in case of just this type of event.

If so, you can reassure her that the records will be fine, no matter what.

If she keeps pressing, you may wish to discuss the matters with a trustee and get their perspective and assurances regarding the accounts for the trust, by focusing on audit trails and accuracy regarding accounting standards.

If you are still concerned about being held responsible, you may wish to consult the trust's legal representative or your own, before taking any further action.

I work in a professional office where we are going to start taking work experience students (people just finishing their second year of university) for a couple of weeks over the summer.

We've never done this before and I've been asked to be one of the staff who has an intern assigned. We haven't really been given any guidance about what to do and I wondered what advice you might give to help make the experience a decent one for them and us.

Neither you nor the student intern will get much out of the internship if they just shadow you and get handed odd jobs.

The rationale for internship is to establish relationships between the organisation and the student for future work.

The student gets a taste for how their studies translate into the workplace, and what type of organisation they would like to work for.

The organisation gets in a bit of fresh talent and can assess the skills of potential new employees before they graduate.

At the level of the person supervising an intern, it can be a great way to add a fresh perspective and energy to a project you are working on, as well as giving you a chance to improve your supervision and communication skills.

To prepare, it's helpful to have some contact with the student before they arrive. This gives you an opportunity to discuss with the student what they would like to accomplish in the internship, and to find out what skills and abilities they have, or would like to develop.

You also need to know exactly how long they will be with you.

Now, review your own workload and assignments thoroughly to see what projects the student might be able to contribute or perhaps take on as their own.

Don't just consider things that you are currently doing; there may be areas where you would go much deeper, perhaps do a bit more research if you had the time.

Or perhaps there is something that is on your list for when you get around to it. This should allow you to identify one or several projects for the intern to work on.

You can also ask them to do the odd job here and there, but they'll have something at the core of their internship that allows them some real work as well as a sense of accomplishment in following something through from beginning to end.

To assign the project to the intern, you'll need to think through what they need to understand about the organisation to undertake it, who they'll need to interact with, what support they'll require, and the milestones along the way so you'll both know you are making progress.

It is also helpful to the intern to be involved in the meetings and other activities of the organisation. If you want some new insights, ask them to observe the interactions at the meeting or other event and then give you their feedback.

You'll be surprised at what newcomers notice and in discussing them they, and you, will come to a better understanding of the organisation.

* Dr Marie Wilson is associate professor of management at the University of Auckland, research director of the ICEHOUSE business accelerator and a veteran of 20 years in corporate management and small business.

Send your questions to: julie_middleton@nzherald.co.nz