The new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) come into effect on 25th May 2018. The main reason for the new regulations is due to the internet. The Data Protection Act (DPA) has not been updated since 1998 and the amount of personal data that is shared online has dramatically increased since then. The previous data protection laws were not up to date on a technological level. With the new laws, new fines have been put into place as well.
As of 25th May 2018, businesses have to change the way in which they handle personal data. Likewise, individuals now have more say control over their information. But what are the most noticeable changes and how will they affect you?
Potential employees
When you apply for one of our advertised positions, you will be told the reason for processing your personal data. Depending on your application method, this will either be sent automatically to you via email link or communicated verbally by a member of staff. Likewise, you will also be sent a link to our new data processing and retention policies.
Registered workers and current employees
- You have the right to unsubscribe from all future communication
- You have the right to update your details with us at any time
- You have the right to have your details removed from our database
- We won’t process any unnecessary or excess data without your consent or other lawful reason. The 6 lawful reasons are listed as consent, performance of contract, legal obligation, legitimate business interest, to protect the vital interest of the individual or when administering justice.
What actions have Rapier taken?
- We have implemented 2 new policies; a Data Processing Policy which explains how we use your personal data and Data Retention Policy which explains how long we keep your data for and how we comply with legal obligations in this respect.
- All of our internal staff have completed full GDPR training and this has been added to our induction for new starters to complete also. The reason for this is to make sure all staff members are complying with the law and handling your data in the correct way.
- Data cleanse – all personal data kept after 3 years from the last date contact has been disposed of confidentially
- All cabinets, drawers, spreadsheets etc containing your personal data is kept secure at all times. Likewise, any whiteboards or noticeboards in our office, visibly displaying any personal data have been appropriately cleared
- All application forms and contracts (both employee and customer e.g. service level agreements) have been updated to reflect new GDPR regulations
- If you registered for work with us but never started for whatever reason or are an ex-worker of ours, you have been contacted to ask whether or not you would like your data retained on our database for any future opportunities that may become available
If you have any questions on this topic or would like any further information, please get in touch with the team today.