Working remotely can pose a few unexpected challenges. Maybe your internet connection is unreliable (usually during the most inopportune times) or perhaps you have the distractions of kids or pets to deal with. Whatever the case may be, one factor you have to consider when working from home is what to do with any work-related documents. If they are confidential or they divulge any personal information, you won’t want to simply throw them away.
As we’ve mentioned numerous times, throwing away confidential materials can put you at risk of a data breach or identity theft. In this blog, we’re going to take a look at some tips for safely storing your documents at home.
Go Through All Your Paperwork
First things first: you will want to go through any paperwork you have to see if there is anything that can be thrown away or what should be kept. This is an excellent way to clear out any paperwork that has begun to pile up in your office. Sort through your documents into piles by identifying what you should keep versus what you should throw away. Here are some examples of documents you should keep:
- Anything that pertains to employees’ confidential information, like their addresses, banking information, or account information
- Confidential client information or anything that names your client specifically
- Your financial information or documents that have your name on it
Be sure to check items that you may believe are insignificant, like birthday cards, sticky notes, or post-it notes. Sometimes, even something you may believe is inconspicuous may give away valuable information, so be sure to check all of your documents.
Protect The Documents You Are Storing Long-term
Once you have decided what documents you will be keeping, protecting them from any wear and tear will be your next step. Use plastic page slips to protect the documents from the sun or any accidental spills. If these documents will be shredded in the future, protecting them from damage isn’t necessary.
Lock Away The Valuables
Now that you have identified what documents you should keep, you should look at keeping them in a safe place. While you may not have strangers or prying eyes in your space right now, you can never be too cautious. Storing your documents in a fire-safe lockbox is a safe bet because you wouldn’t lose valuable documents if the worst were to happen and there was a fire.
When You’re Ready, Shred Your Documents
When your office opens up again, you will want to take your documents into your office to store them in your secure, lockable containers. At which point, you can decide what shredding method works best for you!
Tri-State offers a variety of document shredding services, including on-site, off-site, and scheduled shredding. To find out more about our services, give us a call at (717) 233-5606 or send us a message online.