Employment Data Protection Policies

The UK's data protection regime, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR, sets out a number of important principles governing how personal data is collected, held, and processed by organisations. This applies to employees, starting from the commencement of employment to termination, as well as customers, clients, and suppliers. A data protection policy in respect of employment, therefore, is a crucial document to help ensure compliance with data protection legislation as well as setting out the employer’s commitment and procedures to safeguarding the personal data of their employees.

The selection of templates below includes 3 different versions of a data protection policy and guidance on the retention of employee data to assist employers in establishing a strong framework for responsible data handling. Standard data protection policies that are broader in scope, applying to all types of personal data processed by a business, can be found in Business.

Data Protection Employment Policy

This policy sets out the principles and legal obligations that a business must meet when collecting, holding, and processing personal data relating to its employees. Of the three versions available, it is the most comprehensive. Reproducing key parts of the UK GDPR, this document serves as a useful reference and training resource within a business, with a specific focus on employment and HR.

Data Protection Employment Policy (Short-Form)

This policy fulfils the same function as the version described above, but in a more streamlined way. Some of the more detailed parts of the policy are cut down or removed and cross-refer to separate policy documents, making this policy a more convenient quick reference, better suited to smaller businesses.

Data Protection Policy for Home Working

This Data Protection Policy incorporates a number of provisions specifically geared towards home workers or “WFH”, making it an ideal choice for those businesses who have significant numbers of employees working remotely.

Like the “Data Protection Employment Policy”, this document is highly detailed and reproduces key parts of the UK GDPR. It is also broader in scope than the other two policies presented here, and can be applied to the collection, holding, and processing of all kinds of personal data, not only that which is employment focused.

Retention of Employee Data: Guidance

Personal data should only be held by an organisation for as long as there is a clear business need for it. This guidance note explains the UK GDPR’s approach to data retention and provides guidance on the retention of specific types of employee personal data including job applications, HR files, salary records, and records relating to maternity and paternity. This document provides guidance only, but organisations should also consider having a clear Data Retention Policy in place.

• Data Protection Employment Policy
• Data Protection Employment Policy (Short-Form)
• Data Protection Policy for Home Working
• Retention of Employee Data: Guidance Note

Employment Data Protection Policies is part of Employment. Just £35.00 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Employment for 1 year.