Salary report anonymisation is the removal of personal identifiers so a file no longer points to a person, the standard UK GDPR Recital 26 sets. anonym.plus marks each name, reference, and figure on your device, so the analysis stays useful while no individual remains identifiable — the bar the ICO applies.
When this applies
Such a table names each worker beside a figure and a department. You strip those identifiers before it moves to analytics or a board pack.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the table in anonym.plus on your device.
- The tool flags names, references, and pay figures.
- Local OCR reads a scanned page if present.
- Confirm the flags and keep band labels intact.
- Swap or black out the marked items.
- Save the anonymous file locally.
What you need to provide
- The file (XLSX, CSV, PDF, or scan).
- An operator (Replace keeps the table readable).
- Optional: turn the name map OFF for true anonymity.
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | row Aisha Khan → [STAFF] |
| Financial | MONEY | £92,000 → [SALARY] |
| Identifiers | UK_NINO | NI number → [NINO] |
| Organization | ORGANIZATION | Acme HR → [ORG] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | review 2026 → [DATE] |
| Location | LOCATION | office city → [SITE] |
Compliance achieved
- Aims for the anonymity standard in UK GDPR Recital 26.
- Turn the name map off so no key can re-link a record — the ICO's anonymisation test.
- Offline work keeps the figures off any server.
Anonymise salary reports offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
Recital 26 treats data as anonymous only if no one can re-identify a person by any reasonable means. A small team plus a band can still single someone out, so aggregate first and keep the map off.
Frequently asked questions
When is the file truly anonymous under Recital 26?
Only when no party can re-identify a person by reasonable means — the test the ICO applies. Turn the name map off and aggregate small groups to reach that bar.
Does turning the map off remove the link?
Yes. With the reversible map off, no key links a label back to a worker, so the swap is one-way.
Is it uploaded?
No. The app is offline, so the pay figures stay on your machine.