Disclosure of Personal Information of Employees

It is incumbent on all University of Alberta staff to ensure that the personal information of employees of the University is not disclosed in an unauthorized manner. Under the Access to Information Act (ATIA) and Protection of Privacy Act (POPA), personal information means recorded information about an identifiable individual, including but not limited to:

  • the individual’s name, home or business address, home or business telephone number, home or business email address, or other contact information, except where the individual has provided the information on behalf of the individual’s employer or principal in the individual’s capacity as an employee or agent, 
  • the individual’s race, national or ethnic origin, colour or religious or political beliefs or associations,
  • the individual’s age, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, marital status or family status,
  • an identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned to the individual,
  • the individual’s fingerprints, other biometric information, blood type, genetic information or inheritable characteristics,
  • information about the individual’s health and health care history, including information about the individual’s physical or mental health,
  • information about the individual’s educational, financial, employment or criminal history, including criminal records where a pardon has been given,
  • anyone else’s opinions about the individual, and
  • the individual’s personal views or opinions, except if they are about someone else.


For additional information regarding the disclosure of personal information, please visit the Information, Privacy and Records Management Office’s (IPRMO) Disclosure of Personal Information page.

The following tip will help staff to make appropriate disclosure decisions. However, for circumstances where the below does not apply, we recommend reviewing the guidance from IPRMO on disclosure more generally.

Tip: You may disclose an employee's personal information to a third party if the disclosure is not an unreasonable invasion of the employee's personal privacy. It does not constitute an unreasonable invasion of privacy to release information in the following information:

  • employment status
  • business address, business telephone number and business e-mail address
  • job title and classification
  • salary range (not the specific salary or wage)
  • discretionary benefits or employment responsibilities
  • publications listed in an academic staff member's annual report

If you are not sure whether employee information can be disclosed, please check with your supervisor prior to disclosing, contact the Staff Service Centre or contact the IPRMO at privacy@ualberta.ca.