ODPA – It’s personal. Getting employee data right

Recognising that the HR function sits at the heart of the employment relationship, this session explores how data protection applies in practice across the employee lifecycle.

From recruitment and selection, through day‑to‑day employment, disciplinary processes and health and safety activities, to the end of employment, this session highlights where organisations most commonly encounter data protection risk — often through everyday, well‑intentioned actions. Using practical workplace examples, it looks at how personal data about staff should be collected, shared, retained and safeguarded, and why informal practices can create unintended consequences.

Throughout, the focus is on helping people professionals understand their role in protecting trust, supporting good people management, and reducing organisational risk, without needing to become data protection specialists.