
Subject access requests: ICO issues new guidance for employers on how to respond
Recent guidance issued by the ICO provides helpful pointers on how employers should deal with subject access requests (SARs).
Our expert GDPR lawyers advise clients on the full range of data protection matters to ensure your business is fully compliant with the law.
Data protection law has undergone significant change in recent years with the introduction of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) in the UK.
Despite Brexit, the GDPR is retained in UK domestic law through the DPA, and businesses must be proactive in their assessment of their data protection practices to ensure they are fully compliant.
In today’s climate, individuals have enhanced rights to control their personal data, and those who are handling personal data have extensive obligations to ensure those rights are respected and protected.
Failure to comply with these obligations means businesses risk reputational damage, loss of contract opportunities and the potential for significant fines – depending on the nature of failure to comply with the rules, fines issued can be up to £17.5 million or 4% of annual global turnover (whichever is greater).
MacRoberts advises businesses on the full range of data protection and cyber security matters, including dealing with data breaches, procedures and policies, data auditing and mapping, big data, international data transfers and cyber security.
Recent guidance issued by the ICO provides helpful pointers on how employers should deal with subject access requests (SARs).
The ICO has recently shown its determination to hold public authorities to account for failing to respect the data protection rights of individuals.
The Online Safety Bill continues to progress through the Parliament, and is currently in the Committee Stage at the House of Commons. The Bill is causing increasing debate with privacy rights activists, particularly in relation to the requirement for “illegal content risk assessment”.
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In 2016, we were one of the first law firms in Scotland to become accredited Living Wage employers.
Shortlisted for Firm of the Year at the Scottish Legal Awards 2022.
Winners of Corporate & Commercial Team of the Year and Family Law Team of the Year at the Scottish Legal Awards 2020.
Our Real Estate team won the Property Team of the Year Award at the British Legal Awards in 2018.
Winner of SME of the Year at the Scottish SME Awards 2017, hosted by Scottish Business Insider.
Highly Commended for Commercial Team of the Year at the British Legal Awards 2016.
In 2019, MacRoberts achieved Cyber Essentials Plus certification, a UK Government entry-level information security standard.
MacRoberts holds the ISO 9001:2015 certification for Quality Management, the most widely recognised quality management system standard in the world.
MacRoberts holds the ISO14001:2015 certification for Environmental Management, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to environmental awareness.
MacRoberts holds the ISO27001:2013 certification for Information Security, an internationally recognised security gold standard.
Business continuity is a critical element of the Business Management System at MacRoberts and we hold full accreditation with the ISO 22301:2019.
MacRoberts is a member of IP Inclusive, a network of intellectual property professionals working to make our community more equal, diverse and inclusive.
We are active members of the PRIME Programme – an organisation that focuses on ensuring a career in law is open to talent from all economic and social backgrounds.
MacRoberts supports the Scottish Business Pledge, a values-led partnership between Government and business that is based on boosting productivity and competitiveness through fairness, equality and sustainable employment.
We are supporters of the Partnership for Change, a network of organisations and individuals who share a common ambition to improve diversity on boards and in senior leadership.
We are a member of the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (ENEI), a UK-based not-for-profit organisation which helps employers build and maintain diverse teams and inclusive cultures through our membership, training, and consultancy services.
MacRoberts was awarded enei's Silver TIDEMark for 2023. TIDE is enei's self-assessment evaluation and benchmarking tool which measures an organisation's overall approach and progress on diversity and inclusion.
MacRoberts is a Disability Confident employer, and are committed to disability equality across our firm.
MacRoberts fully supports flexible working practices and supports family-friendly working practices.
In 2022, MacRoberts received a Bronze Award in Stonewall's Workplace Equality Index for our commitment to LGBTQI+ inclusivity in the workplace.
MacRoberts is a longstanding member of Scotland Food & Drink, the leading trade association for Scotland's food and drink industry.
MacRoberts is an Associate Member of SELECT, Scotland's largest construction trade association.