Subject Access Requests – The Relentless Rise

In recent years, employers have seen an overwhelming rise in data subject access requests ('DSARs') from their employees as a tactical move in workplace disputes and this is only set to continue. Responding to DSARs takes up considerable time and administrative resources which could be better spent elsewhere, and we have increasingly been advising employers on how to navigate the fine line between processing their employee's requests efficiently and remaining fully compliant with complex data protection legislation.

DSARs in Employment

An individual's right to make a DSAR to obtain the information an organisation holds about them has long been an integral element of UK data protection legislation. However, as information technology has advanced, the vast increase in electronic data held relating to employees means that processing DSARs is now a far more onerous task for employers than was ever envisioned.