Data Protection Act and employee data

This course can be a half day or all day course. It includes a session on the definitions in data protection and the Act’s interaction with the common law of confidence.

The Data Protection Act is discussed in the context of the following HR issues: fair processing notices & transparency: what should be declared on forms & websites; use and disclosure of medical personal data in HR; what staff can have access to which personal data; posting details of staff on the Intranet; opinions and disputed opinions (e.g. in appraisals and emails: accuracy, relevance); retention and disposal of personal data: archiving, and providing and getting references

There are sessions on: disclosure of staff details with consent (e.g. from payroll records); disclosure of staff details without consent (e.g. to external agencies; trades unions?); vetting of staff; surveillance and monitoring at work; consequences of rights of employees to personal data and the fact that the right of access might not apply. We cover FOI expectations of public sector staff (e.g. re expenses claims etc); security obligations arising from HMG security classifications; data sharing of staff details outside the EEA and HR elements associated with procurement of equipment or use of data processors.

We would prioritise the subject areas you want covered in your course and if you opt for a half-day course, we would want you to identify which part of the day long course content can be excluded or shortened.