Dismissal documentation redaction is the removal of personal data from exit paperwork, guided by UK GDPR Recital 26. The underlying file matters: ERA 1996 s.94 gives the right not to be unfairly dismissed, s.98(4) asks whether the employer acted reasonably, and a qualifying employee can ask for written reasons under s.92. anonym.plus marks names and contacts on your device, so the file stays usable while the worker is shielded.
When this applies
Exit paperwork names the worker, the approver, and pay details. You strip those identifiers before the record is used for analytics.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the paperwork in anonym.plus on your device.
- The app marks worker and approver names.
- Built-in OCR reads a scanned signed letter.
- Turn the alias map OFF for true anonymity.
- Swap or black out the confirmed identifiers.
- Save the clean copy locally.
What you need to provide
- The exit paperwork (PDF, DOCX, or scan).
- An operator (Redact for analytics exports).
- Alias map turned OFF for true anonymisation.
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | the worker → [SUBJECT] |
| Names | PERSON | the approver → [APPROVER] |
| Identifiers | UK_NINO | QQ 12 34 56 C → [NINO] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | last day 30 August → [DATE] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | hr@example.co.uk → [EMAIL] |
| Location | LOCATION | Sheffield site → [LOCATION] |
Compliance achieved
- Preserves what ERA 1996 s.94 gives and s.98(4) tests — the right not to be unfairly dismissed, judged on the band of reasonable responses.
- Keeps the written statement of reasons a qualifying employee may request under ERA 1996 s.92.
- Leaves the qualifying-service facts ERA 1996 s.108 turns on, and the minimum notice s.86 sets.
- Targets the anonymity bar in UK GDPR Recital 26 once the letter becomes a template or an audit sample.
- Turn the alias map off: deliberate re-identification of the de-identified copy is an offence under DPA 2018 s.171.
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Limitations & cautions
Recital 26 treats data as anonymous only when no one can be singled out under the motivated-intruder test. A rare role plus an exit date can still point to one person. De-identifying a copy for analytics does not let you delete the live file: the s.111(2) tribunal window and your own retention schedule both still apply.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make exit data truly anonymous?
Turn the reversible alias map OFF and use Redact. Then check that no unique role or date singles out a person, as Recital 26 requires.
Can I delete the original once I have a redacted copy?
No. Keep the original while a claim is still possible — the unfair dismissal window under ERA 1996 s.111(2) is three months less one day, and the redacted copy is not evidence of what you actually did.
Is the paperwork uploaded?
No. The app runs locally, so dismissal records never reach a cloud server.