How to manage changes to employee rights under GDPR

Almost half (47%) of UK office workers don’t know whether their company is taking action to comply with the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), according to research from Fellowes. However, with the regulation intending to enhance individuals’ rights over their data, employers may want to consider how to manage GDPR in respect to employee data. All employers are essentially data controllers of employee personal data, which will require significant changes to the way HR manages this information.

Say farewell to the ‘tick box’

“It will no longer be sufficient for an employer to have a data protection policy and simply adopt a ‘tick box’ exercise in terms of compliance,” Richard Thomas, Employment Law Partner at Capital Law explains. There will need to be evidence that the employer has considered the individual’s rights under GDPR, weighed against the business needs for processing the personal data.

This means that standard blanket clauses contained in most contracts of employment will need to be reviewed as they won’t be sufficient consent for GDPR purposes, Steph Barber, Head of Legal Compliance at Lawhound.co adds. “This will mean reviewing each contract of employment and determining what changes must be made.”