A year on from the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and employee confidence in the security of their personal data has increased.
Findings from ADP’s Workforce View in Europe 2019 found that, 53 per cent of respondents felt their data is stored responsibly and securely by their employer, a rise of six percentage points since 2018.
GDPR was implemented to enhance individual data protection and ensure the privacy of those living within the European Union and Economic Area. ADP surveyed 10,000 employees throughout Europe and found a positive link that showed employees feel more confident about data security since the legislation was introduced.
Cécile Georges, ADP Chief Privacy Officer, commented: “It’s highly encouraging to see that the implementation of GDPR has coincided with a significant rise in employee confidence, suggesting that employees feel more assured than they were prior to GDPR that companies will actually comply with Data Protection requirements that for most part were already in force in the European Union.
“It is crucial for both the organisations and their employees that the former are complying with GDPR and have a thorough understanding of the impact of wrongfully processing data on employees,” she said.
Despite these findings, more than a quarter of UK employees said they worried about the security of their personal data. The biggest concern for UK employees was that they have no control over the data being stored (11 per cent), followed by worries that their organisation’s systems are vulnerable to cyber-attacks or data breaches (nine per cent). A further eight per cent are concerned that too much data is being held without their consent.
“GDPR has already led to positive results but companies must continue to work to maintain data security and ensure their employees feel confident about the way their employers hold and process their personal data,” added Georges.
