As of 25 May, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) came into effect. The rules are an evolution of the old Data Protection Act 1998 and span the whole of Europe.
GDPR is regulated by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and gives people more control about how their data is used, shared and stored. It requires organisations, including employers, to be more accountable and transparent about how they use data.
The new regulations have had a particularly big impact on payroll and HR departments, which hold a raft of personal data and information on employees. The new provisions include minimising the data held, ensuring employee consent, implementing new processes such as data impact assessments and documenting compliance.
The ICO has been focused on educating organisations on how to prepare for GDPR. However, it has now switched its focus to helping people to understand why their data matters and how individuals can take control of it.
Its campaign Your Data Matters aims to increase the public’s trust and confidence in how their data is used and made available.
Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said: “We know that sharing our data safely and efficiently can make our lives easier, but that digital trail is valuable. It’s important that it stays safe and is only used in ways that people would expect and can control.”
Learn Payroll is running a half-day course on GDPR to help payroll and HR to understand their responsibilities and ensure compliance.
