May 25th marks one year since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force and findings from ADP shows that the regulation has had a positive impact on employee confidence around data security.
More than half of respondents (53 per cent) say that they feel confident that their data is stored responsibly and securely by their employer, a rise of six percentage points since 2018. In May 2018, GDPR was implemented to enhance individual data protection and ensure the privacy of those living within the European Union and Economic Area. The ADP Workforce View in Europe 2019 surveyed over 10,000 employees throughout Europe, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the UK, and found a positive link that shows employees throughout Europe feel more confident about data security since the legislation was introduced.
However, more than a quarter (26 per cent) of UK employees still worry about the security of their personal data; a figure that rose to more than a third of employees (34 per cent) in France which suggests a significant number of organisations need to do more. The biggest concern amongst UK employees is that they have no control over the data being stored (11per cent), followed by worries that their organisation’s systems are vulnerable to cyber-attacks or data breaches (nine per cent). A further eight per cent are concerned that too much data is being held without their consent.
Cécile Georges, ADP Chief Privacy Officer, commented,
It’s highly encouraging to see that the implementation of GDPR has coincided with a significant rise in employee confidence, suggesting that employees feel more assured than they were prior to GDPR that companies will actually comply with Data Protection requirements that for most part were already in force in the European Union. It is crucial for both the organisations and their employees that the former are complying with GDPR and have a thorough understanding of the impact of wrongfully processing data on employees. GDPR has already led to positive results but companies must continue to work to maintain data security and ensure their employees feel confident about the way their employers hold and process their personal data.
Aphrodite is a creative writer and editor specialising in publishing and communications. She is passionate about undertaking projects in diverse sectors. She has written and edited copy for media as varied as social enterprise, art, fashion and education. She is at her most happy owning a project from its very conception, focusing on the client and project research in the first instance, and working closely with CEOs and Directors throughout the consultation process. Much of her work has focused on rebranding; messaging and tone of voice is one of her expertise, as is a distinctively unique writing style in my most of her creative projects. Her work is always driven by the versatility of language to galvanise image and to change perception, as it is by inspiring and being inspired by the wondrous diversity of people with whom paths she crosses cross!
Aphrodite has had a variety of high profile industry clients as a freelancer, and previously worked for a number of years as an Editor and Journalist for Prospects.ac.uk.
Aphrodite is also a professional painter.
