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What is the Data Protection Act?
The Data Protection
Act 1998 has an impact on almost every aspect of employment.
The Act sets out the way in which employers must manage information
held on their employees in the workplace.
It does this in two ways:
- By setting out the legal requirements that the Company
has to comply with
- By providing guidance on ‘best practice’ in
the area of information management
Why do you need to implement the
Data Protection Act in your Organisation?
The impact of
the Act in your Organisation:
You will see from the diagram opposite that the Act has a
major impact on virtually every aspect of employment.
You
will also see that it is about anyone who ‘works’
for you, from job applicants through to ex-employees, and
not forgetting contractors and agency staff.
Your
reason ‘why’:
If ‘compliance’ is your motivation, then there
is much to comply with and penalties for a failure to comply,
including potential ‘criminal’ liabilities.
The
Information Commissioner has announced a doubling of the number
of Inspectors who will be carrying out spot checks on Companies
to ensure that they are complying with the Act.
If
‘best practice’ is your motivation, implementing
the recommendations in this Guide will ensure that you are
working to current employment and data protection best practice
and send a strong message to your employees about how seriously
you take data protection.
On
the back of the point above is the ‘mutual respect’
effect, where if employees can see that you are looking after
their data properly, they are more likely to take the same
care over the Organisation's data.
We
can provide a wide range of practical support, including:
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'Audits' and Compliance HealthChecks
– ensuring your systems (IT and Paper), processes
and practices are all compliant with the new Act
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Action Planning –
understanding the practical issues and defining the priorities
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Implementation –
supporting you with the practical implementation of your
Action Plan
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Policy Documents –
Data Processing, Security, Access, Monitoring, and Communication
and Computer Systems – policy design, and advice
on policy implementation
-
Briefings and Workshops
– your Personnel / Human Resources, Operational
and Line Managers, Payroll, Pensions, Occupational Health
and IT Managers all need to be thoroughly briefed on the
practical implications for them, their teams, employees,
contract staff and suppliers
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