[ARCHIVE] Occupation and Industry Codes

Archived 2024-06-04. Content moved to CDS Guide, Occupation and Industry Codes.

Question

1. If a Data Holder have occupation codes for some customers, but don’t for other customers, can we pass a null value for the customers where the occupation code does not exist in our core systems?
2. If a Data Holder have occupation codes which are not as per ANZCO standard occupation classification for some customers, as a DH, how are we expected to respond to this data request? Are we expected to somehow correct the data to align it to the ANZCO standard code and then share the data? Or can we pass a null value? Or can we send whatever string we have stored in our core systems? What is ACCC/Data Standards Body expectation on this?
3. If a Data Holder have the actual occupations listed within our core systems but not the occupation codes for some customers, as a Data Holder, are we expected to map the occupation that we have stored in the system to ANZCO standards for Occupation code and then share the data? What is ACCC/Data Standards Body expectation on this? Also, there will be cases where the occupation does not directly match a code within the ANZCO standard. How are Data Holders expected to handle this scenario?

Answer(s)

1. The occupationCode field is optional so this would be valid.  Null values are equivalent to leaving the field out of the payload entirely (see: https://consumerdatastandardsaustralia.github.io/standards/#payload-conventions).
2. It is encouraged to uplift the data quality but this is not required by the rules or the standards.  If any optional field is not held in a form that can be translated into the CDR standards then it should be considered to be not held and a null should be returned (or the field left out of the payload).  Do not send any free form string as this would not be compliant with the standard.
3. If you hold the data and are able to translate it into the required format then you are expected to provide it as it is the customer's data, is designated and has been consented for sharing.