HFS+ Disk security

It's a disk format, just like FAT or NTFS

If you want encryption, then use FileVault, or create a new image in Disk Utility, encrypt that and use it to store your work files

 

As Chris.L said: HFS+ (like almost all disk formats) does not include any encryption. So you have two options:

1) Use FileVault that encrypts your home folder (but nothing else)

2) Go with one of the third-party whole-disk-encryption products

Note that the standards that your company might set might require whole-disk-encryption. They often do this because otherwise you have to figure out all the places a sensitive file *might* have been placed (think temp files, caches, etc...), and this becomes a nightmare when a computer with sensitive information goes missing. Unless you can certify that everything sensitive is inaccessible then you have to go through the very expensive reporting procedures.

 

It's a disk format, not a security measure. People can still view your files with ease.

You need encryption if you want to keep your files safe.