Dear Editor,
Given recent commentary in the Barrhead Leader about how Pembina Hills School Division handles personal information related to employees – and what information we release – I wanted to write and explain the legal principles and values that underpin our decisions as a school jurisdiction.
Pembina Hills has approximately 900 employees. These employees entrust our school division with a great deal of personal information – somewhat similar to a doctor’s office. As employers, it is incumbent upon us, as a public body, to handle this personal information with the utmost discretion and respect – out of respect for our employees (past and present) and in compliance with Alberta law.
Like school divisions across Alberta, Pembina Hills School Division is bound to follow the Freedom of Information Act and Protection of Privacy Act with regards to the information we can share about employees. Breaking those rules may result in fines of up to $10,000, so we are very careful to comply. Beyond the financial implications, as a school division we are committed to handling employees’ personal information with discretion and respect.
When the division receives a request for personal information, I turn to the FOIPP legislation to guide the division’s response in terms of what can be shared – and what it might cost to generate a response to that request. It is my responsibility as superintendent to ensure our actions comply with the laws that govern us.
As a school division, we have been and will continue to be guided in our decision-making with regards to the release of personal information related to any employee by the law and our belief that we must treat personal information with respect and discretion.
As I understand this has generated some commentary and questions, I would encourage anyone who wants to discuss this further to give me a call at 780-674-8507.
Egbert Stang
Superintendent of Schools
Pembina Hills Regional Division No. 7
