What is ISO 27001 Annex A 6.2 Terms and Conditions of Employment?
Annex A 6.2 requires contractual agreements to define security obligations for employees and contractors. This documented process ensures legal accountability for data protection. It must be integrated into standard HR workflows using internal tools like SharePoint. This clarifies responsibilities before personnel receive access to information.
Auditor’s Eye: The Shortcut Trap
Generic SaaS compliance platforms often provide a “green tick” for contract management. This is a common audit failure mode. Auditors require evidence of management ownership: not just a software dashboard status. Reliance on external platforms decouples security from daily HR operations. We prefer seeing contract templates in your native SharePoint environment. This proves you control the legal wording and versioning. Black-box platforms often hide the procedural gaps that lead to non-conformities.
| 2013 Control Reference | 2022 Control Reference | Key Changes and Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1.2 Terms and conditions of employment | 6.2 Terms and conditions of employment | Renumbered but requirements remain stable. Emphasises the inclusion of security duties in contracts. |
How to Implement ISO 27001 Annex A 6.2 Terms and Conditions of Employment (Step-by-Step)
Annex A 6.2 requires contractual agreements to state security responsibilities clearly for everyone. This ensures legal accountability for sensitive data. You must manage these terms within your existing organizational tools. Use SharePoint for templates and Jira for onboarding workflows. This builds security into your cultural foundation. Avoid separate software that isolates HR records.
- Define Templates: Store master contract templates with security clauses in SharePoint.
- Map Responsibilities: Use internal wikis to link job roles to specific security duties.
- Automate Checks: Configure Jira workflows to prevent account creation without a signed contract.
- Control Versions: Use SharePoint versioning to track updates to the Employee Handbook.
- Verify Contractors: Apply the same rigorous signing process to all third-party personnel.
ISO 27001 Annex A 6.2 Terms and Conditions of Employment Audit Evidence Checklist
Focus on manual records and internal document histories. These prove human oversight and organisational intent. Auditors prefer native records over software dashboards.
- Employment contract templates containing updated confidentiality and security clauses.
- Jira onboarding tickets showing the date of contract verification.
- Signed non-disclosure agreements stored in secure internal HR folders.
- Confluence version logs for the internal Security Policy and Handbook.
- Minutes from management reviews regarding changes to employment terms.
Relational Mapping
- Clause 7.2: Competence requirements for employees.
- Annex A 6.1: Screening requirements before employment.
- Annex A 6.4: Disciplinary process for security breaches.
- Annex A 6.5: Responsibilities after termination or change of employment.
Auditor Interview
Auditor: How do you ensure new staff understand their security duties?
Manager: We include specific clauses in their contracts. We manage these templates in our SharePoint DMS.
Auditor: Where is the record that these terms were agreed upon?
Manager: The signed contracts are stored in the HR secure folder. Jira logs verify the check occurred during onboarding.
Common Non-Conformities
| Non-Conformity Type | Description | Remediation Action |
|---|---|---|
| Automated Complacency | Relying on a SaaS platform’s “Compliance Dashboard” without internal procedural evidence. | Move all contract master templates and signing records into internal SharePoint libraries. |
| Missing Post-Employment Terms | Contracts do not specify that security duties continue after the person leaves. | Update SharePoint contract templates to include post-termination confidentiality clauses. |
| Inconsistent Contractor Terms | Third-party staff receive access without signing the same security terms as employees. | Standardise the Jira onboarding process to include mandatory contractor signature verification. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important part of Annex A 6.2?
The core answer is making security responsibilities legally binding. Contracts must explicitly mention data protection and policy adherence. This creates a clear legal basis for the ISMS. Store these agreements in secure internal repositories to ensure accessibility for auditors.
How do we manage terms for existing employees when policies change?
Use internal wikis like Confluence to publish updated terms. Require all staff to sign an acknowledgement form. Track this process through a Jira task to ensure 100% completion. This provides a clear audit trail of communication and consent.
Why should we avoid SaaS compliance tools for HR records?
SaaS tools often decouple security from your daily business operations. They provide a surface-level view that might not satisfy a thorough audit. Native tools like SharePoint provide better versioning and integrated access controls. This demonstrates superior management ownership of the legal process.