The Workplace Buzz - Relaunched - Data breaches and a spotlight on AI

The Workplace Buzz – Issue #4, 9th August 2023

Welcome

Welcome to the fourth edition of Informu Solutions ’ LinkedIn newsletter.

Reflecting the work that we undertake with our clients, we will provide news on the intertwining themes of:

• Information Governance and Data Protection
• Facilities Management, the Workplace and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance)

This issue also includes a spotlight on Artificial Intelligence.

Firstly a couple of apologies. Incredibly it has been over a year since we last published The Workplace Buzz. However, we are back and will endeavour to maintain regular publication. The other apology is that we recently accidentally published a LinkedIn article entitled "Informu Data Ledger - User Journey - an HR Data Discovery" to newsletter subscribers instead of as a general LinkedIn post. We sincerely apologise for intruding into your inbox with this.

As always, we are happy to hear from you regarding any items or announcements you would like us to consider including in the newsletter going forward.

Thanks for reading,

Ren Leming & Jonathan Jerreat

Information Governance and Data Protection

NI Police and Electoral Commission Data Breaches

"Yesterday two major data breaches were reported in the public sector. Both have major implications for individuals’ privacy. They are also a test for the Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) approach to the use of its enforcement power."

An analysis is here from Act Now Training .

BBC news coverage PSNI data breach and Electoral Commission.

Are Many Privacy Violations Also Data Breaches?

"Data breaches and privacy violations have long been thought of as different things, but actually, there is a lot of overlap." Daniel Solove explores this theme is his article here

NHS Ambulance trusts unable to access patient records following cyberattack

"Two NHS ambulance services have been unable to access electronic patient records for over a week following a cyberattack on Swedish health tech company Ortivus...[they] have reportedly had to resort to paper-based systems since last Tuesday." Read more here

DPDI Bill’s Codes of Practice are institutionally biased in favour of controllers

"Who should prepare Codes of Practice that describe good practice in data protection? Should a Code’s final content be the responsibility of the data protection regulator or a government minister? This blog [by Chris Pounder ] explains the development methodology for producing a Code of Practice and shows it is institutionally biased in favour of the controller.?As a result, this bias risks infecting all Codes of Practice produced by this methodology.?It is this bias that undermines the “good practice” which is supposed to protect the interests of data subjects."

Why Consumer Messaging Apps Are a Workplace Vulnerability

"The use of consumer messaging apps in the workplace, a form of shadow IT, is making it increasingly difficult for enterprises to protect their data and ensure compliance." This and why enterprises should seize the opportunity to revolutionise real-time communications are discussed in this article by Amandine Le Pape.

The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, currently passing through Parliament, will lead to a number of changes, including effectively abolishing the Office of the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner.

Commissioner set to close third party certification scheme for surveillance

Professor Fraser Sampson, the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner, has written an open letter to accreditation bodies the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board, IQ Verify Ltd and the National Security Inspectorate regarding the future of the third party certification scheme for surveillance systems, which is being put forward for closure at the end of this month. Read more here

Facilities Management, the Workplace and ESG

Cultivating a Supportive Work Environment for Employee Well-being

According to a recent survey conducted by Calm and Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, 82% of people say workplace stress is a problem at their organisation. This article includes a look actions organisations can take to better prioritize mental health.

Employees as Consumers: A New Type of Employee Experience

This article by Dieter Veldsman explores redesigning employee value propositions, rethinking employee experiences and incorporating a variety of new flexible work models.

Forget the VR Vision of the Metaverse: Digital Twins Are Coming

The concept of the Metaverse that most people have is one that requires a virtual reality headset and seems more suited for video games. In this article Brian Jackson argues that businesses are more likely to realise value from a more operational model of the metaverse that uses digital twins, including advantages for office planning and construction.

Here's What We Know About the ROI of VR Training

In this article, Katherine Gustafson discusses how training using virtual reality used to be a niche for developing specific hard skills, but AI advancements are bringing VR training to your workplace.

Beyond 9-5: why the four-day week works

Traditional work structures are facing a dramatic overhaul. Earlier this year, the results from the world’s largest experiment with a four-day workweek were unveiled. The UK-based trial received a resounding thumbs up from both businesses and employees, with 56 out of 61 participating companies continuing the revised work schedule beyond the testing period. A document on this topic published by Regus is here.

Reimagining Workplace Safety: The Game-Changing Impact of AI

"Workplace safety is undergoing a transformative shift, thanks to the continuous advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI). From automated safety checks to wearable health devices, AI is setting the stage for a safer and more prosperous future for the global workforce." This article, penned by Dr Mark van Rijmenam, CSP , explores AI’s groundbreaking role in revolutionising workplace health and safety.

Spotlight on Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence and other forms of automation are certainly the current buzz in technology news. Much of this is about balancing ethical and workforce concerns (as, for example, highlighted by the Hollywood writers and actors strike) with the business and scientific opportunities. With this in mind, the following few articles therefore leapt out.

Balancing AI Bias with Ethical Data Collection

In this article, Adonis Celestine discusses how to ensure training data for AI is ethically collected, along with legislation and consumer concern around AI.

How Robots Will Change Organisations

"We can boost productivity, increase safety, and stimulate innovation by embracing the potential of robots and utilising their capabilities. However, it is equally important to prioritise human well-being, job security, and equitable access to the benefits of robotics." In this article Dr Mark van Rijmenam explores "the ever-evolving landscape of robotics, discussing the cutting-edge advancements that have propelled the field forward in recent years."

Your Microsoft Copilot Prep List

"With AI hype reaching fever pitch and expectations for 微软 Copilot skyrocketing, the reality may end up falling short of organizations' hopes, especially if they don't have the prerequisites in place for Copilot to function effectively." This article by David Lavenda explores how to prepare.

OpenText plots a course into the Cognitive era

" OpenText has announced opentext.ai, described as a new strategic approach to advance how its customers can solve complex problems by applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLM) with their OpenText Information Management software." Read more here.

How 2 Companies Used AI Chatbots to Redefine Their Hiring Processes

This article by Michelle Hawley explores the use of AI chatbots — also referred to as virtual assistants (VAs) — to automate talent acquisition operations tasks at Hewlett Packard and General Motors.

Wikipedia’s value in the age of generative AI

Selena Deckelmann explores "If there was a generative artificial intelligence system that could, on its own, write all the information contained in Wikipedia, would it be the same as Wikipedia today?" within this article

A year ago, technical news had lots of coverage of the Metaverse and Virtual Reality. Whilst there’s a bit less about it within the inbox, there are still interesting opportunities to explore.

Chat GPT may be banned in some UK organisations

"Two thirds (66%) of organisations in the UK are implementing or considering bans on generative AI applications within the workplace, according to a survey of IT decision makers by software company Blackberry." Read more here.?

From the Archives

Preserving History: Challenges of Storing Old Beer Bottles and Cans in Archives and Special Collections Storage

A post from University of Glasgow Library Blog on the challenges of storing and preserving these delicate artifacts.

Women’s football in the 1880s

With the Women’s World Cup underway in Australia, here are two newspaper items from a British Library blog about women’s football from the 1880s which show the kinds of prejudice that the sport has had to overcome.

Company News

Informu’s MD steps down as Chair of the IRMS

Our MD, Ren Leming, stepped down as Chair of the Information and Records Management Society following a 3 year tenure.

As Ren at the time stated: "It has been one of the honours and privileges of my life to serve the Society, the members and the profession. Thank you to everyone for your support.

As I said on stage at Conference, you are one of the most important professions in the world - you are the custodians of memory, the guardians of truth and the guarantors of trust. You and the work you do are amazing."

He remains a Trustee of the Society and will actively continue to work on advocacy, workforce development and collaboration as Vice Chair of External Engagement.?

Thank you for reading and we look forward to bringing you another edition soon.