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Data subject access requests
We understand that Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR) from employees, customers, students, parents of a pupil or any other data subject whose personal data you hold and process as a data controller or processor can cause considerable stress.
Not only is there the request itself to consider, including every piece of data you hold about the individual, but you must also think about the data relating to other data subjects, which is mixed up with the individual in question’s data! This all needs to be completed within the one month deadline. And of course failure to comply with DSARs can result in serious consequences, so it is vital to carry them out in a timely and efficient way.
As a team that specialises in helping our clients with DSARs, we know how to help you, from establishing whether a request is manifestly unfounded and excessive, to advising on information that can be withheld because an exemption applies such as legal privilege, or because it simply does not relate to the data subject making the DSAR or identifies other data subjects (identifiers).
Historically, a large part of the DSAR process has involved having to manually go through huge reams of data to ensure that the right information is submitted, with details about other data subjects redacted. This takes a huge amount of time and resource. It does not have to be this way though. Alongside its wealth of experience in dealing with DSARs, our team also has access to a state of the art piece of new software that enables us to analyse data efficiently and in a fraction of the time that it would otherwise take for you to do it manually. By minimising manual efforts and reducing the need for extensive redaction, our solution offers significant time and costs savings.
Our software can also:
- Identify the data that falls within defined creation dates, so that disclosure is only confined to information that is asked for in a defined period and cull the rest
- De-duplicate actual and near duplicates and de-clutter data and cull that data
- Identify the relevant data subject from personally identifiable information and identify all other data subjects to then redact out those other data subjects from the data to be disclosed
- Search for specific initials of data subjects or payroll numbers or post codes that are all potentially disclosable, so that they remain included within the data to be disclosed
- Create audit or working copies of the data disclosure bundle showing the proposed redactions for checking and approval by you
- Create redacted version for sending to the data subject in chronological order
- Preserve the original data in raw form, so that in the event of a dispute involving the ICO investigating a breach of the SAR disclosure obligations, we can show the process that has been undertaken from raw data, to working redacted data to redacted and disclosed data
- Create reports of data culled, removed, data that does not contain text or is corrupted or is in non-accessible files or is password encrypted.
Our approach
Handling employment law issues can be a big distraction when you are trying to run a business. Get it wrong and it can tie up lots of management time as well as being very costly. But, when you get it right, it complements the business and keeps you running smoothly.
So that’s our job as employment lawyers – to keep your business running smoothly and if an occasional hiccup occurs – because life is like that – we’ll help you get through it with minimal disruption.
Our team of specialist employment lawyers, based in Kent, cover London and the South East and act for businesses of all shapes and sizes and in many different sectors. Our advice for businesses covers all aspects of the employment relationship, helping to settle disputes, defending employment tribunal claims and providing employment contracts and handbooks.
The fact is that employment law has become much more complicated in recent years. So you can rest assured that we have a team with terrific expertise and experience across the full spectrum of work. What makes us stand out is the depth of the relationship which we will forge with you based on our unwavering commitment to understand the way you and your business operates. That way we design and tailor our service around your needs – not an off-the-shelf formula. You will experience our unrivalled speed of response, which is consistently praised by those we work with.
So whether it’s dealing with employment tribunal claims or providing a telephone helpline service we’ve got all angles covered to provide commercially driven, strategic and practical advice, given with the energy and proactivity you expect from a trusted professional adviser.
To give a flavour of our work here are some recent examples:
- Advising a multi-academy trust on a claim from a former headteacher concerning whistleblowing, unfair dismissal, breach of contract and unpaid wages
- Advising a multi-national food distribution company in respect of a group of current and former employees who tried to move over £20 million worth of our client’s business to a competitor, we successfully took proceedings against them
- Advising a national insurance broker that had to close one of its sites, we took them through the process of consulting with its workforce
- Advising a care home sector charity on strategies for cost reduction which involved imposing changes to terms and pay, the legality of which was subsequently upheld by the Employment Appeal Tribunal.
Accreditations & awards
As a successful SME, we were looking for a highly efficient and professional service when dealing with all HR and legal matters. We have been very impressed with Thomson Snell & Passmore's employment advice service. They have provided excellent, comprehensive compliance advice which has fitted well with our requirements. It has given us confidence and comfort. We highly recommend them and their employment advice service to any SME company.