Absent staff members

Can a member of staff who is away from the office receive requests for information?

As requests for information can be sent to any member of staff and be considered received by the University, a member of staff can receive a request even if they are away from the office. As most requests are received by email, it is important that staff have an auto reply message on their email account which explains they are away and will not be accessing emails, and provides the date they will return and an alternative contact in their absence. If a request is resent to the alternative contact, they should ensure that it is appropriately rerouted.

Information Compliance Services guidance on managing your email provides guidance on the arrangements you should make for your email when you are away from the office for more than a few days.

I work in a very small department/subject group/section and sometimes, unavoidably, we have to shut the office for several days. Is the time that we are shut included in the response time calculation? What arrangements should we make to monitor our mail?

The response time is calculated from the day that the University receives the request, even if no-one is available to read the request and act on it.

Colleges and Support Groups are responsible for ensuring that there is appropriate cover when their small units have to shut for more than a few days.

I need to access an absent colleague's computer account. What is the procedure for doing so?

Access to an individual's computer account will only be sought in exceptional circumstances, when the individual cannot be contacted and when there is an urgent need, for example to respond to a freedom of information request or a subject access request.

There may also be a need to access an individual's computer account to respond to a request if they have recently left the University and their account has not yet been deleted in line with the Information Services' Account Expiry Policy.

Account Expiry Policy

The procedure for accessing an absent or former staff member's account for the purpose of responding to an information request is:

1. The line manager should complete the relevant parts of the 'Death in Service & Account Suspension Request Form', which is available under the 'Account data access requests' heading of the IS Account Expiry Policy webpage.

   In the form, managers should tick the 'Access to Data Request' option in section 8. This will provide more options further down the form, including one that allows staff to explain the purpose of the submission and add any further information about how they wish access to be handled. For example, managers may want to nominate another staff member to have access, so they can undertake the searches. 

2. IS will then provide access to the account.
3. If possible, managers should contact the absent or former member of staff to inform them that they are going to be accessing their account.
4. If there is a concern about accessing the account, the manager or nominee could look at the account with another colleague by their side, so that they can act as witnesses for one another.
5. Only information relevant to the request should be viewed. Staff should avoid looking at anything marked 'personal' and respect the confidentiality, integrity and security of the information contained in the acccount.
6. When the required information has been found, copies should be saved in a secure location.