As a team, we recently reviewed our discovery call notes and realized that many prospective clients ask about the same thing: privacy and security.

Naturally, when considering the possibility of someone else managing their inbox, they ask questions like:

• How do your assistants handle confidential information?

• Will your assistants sign NDAs or confidentiality agreements?

• How do I know my assistant won’t read personal or sensitive messages?

• What happens if an assistant leaves the company?

So, we’ll address these questions and more in this dedicated article.

Straight off the bat, here are three ways we keep your information secure:

• Every assistant completes internal security and privacy training before working with you.

• We can set up labeling and folder systems so private emails stay private.

• Our team can build custom detection and safety procedures to act as a safety net.

If you feel a spark of relief once you’ve scrolled through this article, knowing your inbox could finally be handled safely, privately, and professionally, I want you to take this as a sign to move forward with us. We’ll protect your inbox like it’s our own. Deal?

How We Train Assistants To Handle Sensitive Information

Every 50hrs.com assistant goes through an internal privacy and security training program during onboarding. It’s essentially a mini-course that covers everything from handling confidential data to identifying high-risk information.

We’re not going to pair you with one of our assistants unless they have demonstrated three important traits to us during onboarding:

1. A hawk-eyed ability to spot sensitive information in inboxes.

2. The discipline to follow security protocols every single day.

3. The judgment to pause, flag, or escalate an email instead of guessing.

We tend to attract assistants who take pride in accuracy because they want to be part of a company that’s built its reputation on attention to detail.

After the training, every assistant completes a strict internal security checklist before they ever open a client inbox. Our checklist includes tasks like:

• Installing antivirus software on all devices and using a VPN.

• Storing passwords in LastPass or a client-approved alternative.

• Setting calendar reminders for security hygiene.

It’s a detailed, non-negotiable checklist to set the tone for what’s to come. We make sure security and privacy are at the forefront of your assistant’s mind from the outset.

Do Your Assistants Sign NDAs?

Yes, they can, in two ways. I’ll explain…

First, every client relationship is automatically protected by a Non-Disclosure Agreement built into our Terms of Service. This agreement means any information shared with 50hrs.com remains confidential.

Second, if your company has its own NDA requirements, your assistant can review and sign a custom NDA before work begins. We handle this regularly for clients in legal, medical, and financial sectors who require additional layers of protection. More on this shortly!

Every 50hrs.com assistant is legally bound to confidentiality, both at the company and individual level.

Are You HIPAA-Compliant (And What Does That Mean)?

As we work with clients in healthcare, law, and accounting, HIPAA compliance and data privacy are always top of mind.

If you’re not familiar, HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) sets the standard for protecting sensitive health information in the U.S.

While 50hrs.com itself doesn’t store medical records, our executive assistants can operate within HIPAA-compliant systems that clients already use, such as secure client portals, encrypted document-sharing platforms, or even specialized record-keeping software.

If you have existing tools that meet HIPAA or similar regulatory standards, our assistants are ready to follow your established compliance procedures.

How Do You Customize Privacy And Security For Each Client?

While we provide our assistants with extensive training on privacy and security, we know that each client will have their own set of needs.

That’s why we build a custom privacy system for every client. The system is a set of procedures and rules for your executive assistant to follow.

During onboarding, we ask detailed questions about the types of confidential information that may pass through your inbox to help determine the right set of procedures and rules to implement.

The more context you provide, the more precise our security setup can be. We will take many variables into account, such as:

• HR issues

• Client records

• Financial data

Once we have enough context, we’ll then move ahead with creating a tailored playbook that reflects your needs as a client.

This could involve inbox management strategies like using restricted-access folders and advanced sorting rules to automatically route sensitive messages to secure locations.

Can I Keep Certain Emails Completely Private?

Absolutely! We know many clients prefer certain types of emails stay off-limits.

We create custom labels or folders within your inbox, like:

• Private

• Financial

• HR Only

• Legal/Compliance

• Executive/Leadership

Your assistant won’t open or manage emails within those categories unless told otherwise.

To make sure nothing ever slips through the cracks, your assistant can notify you (via Slack, Teams, or text message, whichever you prefer) when something important lands in one of those private folders.

If you’re an HR executive dealing with a private team issue or a doctor handling sensitive patient emails, these setups help us keep the balance between being helpful and respecting privacy.

Eric Israelsen at Summit Solar is a great example of how 50hrs.com’s privacy-first approach to email management works in practice. As his solar company began to expand, Eric relied on our trained executive assistants to manage sensitive emails securely.

Will Your Assistants Ever Pretend To Be Me?

No, and that’s entirely by design. Here’s how it works:

Your 50hrs.com assistant becomes part of your team. When they send messages, they use their own name and title. For example:

Lucy Smith, Executive Assistant to Dr. Williams

We do this so everyone knows a real person is managing the inbox on your behalf.

In rare cases, clients specifically request “ghostwriting” support. When this is required, we create some additional safeguards, such as draft-only workflows and final-approval steps. These are necessary for full oversight before anything goes out.

Can My Assistant Still Help With Secure Emails Without Seeing Everything?

Yes, and that’s where drafting protocols come in.

If you wish, your assistant can create a draft reply to a sensitive email without sending it. They’ll handle the structure, tone, and flow of the message, leaving placeholders for sensitive information you can fill in.

You review, edit if needed, and hit send yourself.

Drafting protocols aren’t suitable for every type of sensitive email. However, they are an option when you want maximum control over the content while still receiving support with messaging.

What If Something Goes Wrong?

While privacy incidents are extremely rare, we maintain a clear response and accountability process.

If a potential issue is identified, we act immediately:

1. The situation is escalated internally and reviewed by our leadership team.

2. The client is notified transparently and promptly.

3. We take corrective measures and review protocols to prevent recurrence.

Rest assured, your executive assistant will never leave you guessing. This commitment to transparency and accountability has guided every decision we make as a team at 50hrs.com.

Privacy And Trust Go Hand In Hand

“Finally, someone’s got this.”

Those were the words of a recent client who came to us after months of hesitation about handing over their inbox. Within weeks, they realized privacy and trust go hand in hand.

You’ve got more important things to do than worry about whether your inbox is being handled safely. That’s our job! We’ve built our entire company around doing it right.

If you’re reading this and feeling a calm sense of confidence, that’s your cue to move forward.

Book a call to apply for your own 50hrs.com assistant.