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Why your employees should know how to comply with GDPR

GDPR is a comprehensive set of rules that were put in place to protect personal data. As a company, it is your responsibility to ensure that your employees are aware of and comply with GDPR requirements. One of the most important challenges in complying with the GDPR is to create awareness in the company and make employees understand the importance of data protection and handle personal data correctly. This blog is about how you can create GDPR awareness for your employees in order to help them understand the importance of complying with GDPR.

How to help employees comply with GDPR

There are a number of things you can do to get employees on the GDPR bandwagon:

1. Provide Training and Education
2. Communicate the Consequences
3. Create a Culture of Compliance
4. Lead by Example
5. Use technology to comply with GDPR
6. Monitor and Audit Compliance

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1. Provide Training and Education

The first step in getting employees to comply with GDPR is to provide them with the necessary training and education. This includes providing information on what GDPR is, why it’s important, and how it affects their daily work.

You should also provide training on specific GDPR regulations, such as how to handle personal data, how to identify and report data breaches, and how to handle requests for data deletion or rectification. The training should be tailored to the specific roles and responsibilities of each employee, and should be provided in a way that is easy to understand and apply in practice.

2. Communicate the Consequences

It’s important to communicate to your employees the serious consequences of non-compliance with GDPR. This includes the potential fines and penalties that can be imposed on the organisation, as well as the potential damage to the organisation’s reputation.

Emphasize that non-compliance is not just a legal issue, but also a business issue. Data breaches can have serious consequences for the organisation and its customers, and can lead to a loss of trust and a decrease in business.

3. Create a Culture of Compliance

Creating a culture of compliance is essential for getting employees to comply with GDPR. This means ensuring that all employees understand the importance of data privacy and the role they play in protecting personal data.

Encourage employees to take an active role in protecting personal data by providing them with the necessary tools and resources. This includes providing them with the necessary training and education, as well as with the necessary systems and processes for handling personal data.

Encourage employees to report any issues or concerns related to data privacy, and to make sure that they are aware of the process for reporting data breaches.

4. Lead by Example

Leadership is essential for getting employees to comply with GDPR. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to set the tone and lead by example. This includes ensuring that you are aware of and comply with GDPR regulations, as well as ensuring that your team is aware of and complies with GDPR regulations.

Make sure that you are visible and available to your team, and that you are actively engaged in ensuring compliance with GDPR. Show your team that you are committed to data privacy and that you are taking the necessary steps to protect personal data.

5. Use technology to comply with GDPR

Technology can play an important role in getting your employees to comply with GDPR. An investment in a data discovery tool that can help you identify and manage personal data can make it much easier and more manageable for employees to deal with GDPR. In addition, a DSR portal that can help you handle requests for data deletion and rectification, as well as an add-on for Outlook that can ensure that data is shared securely, can be of great help to employees.

6. Monitor and Audit Compliance

Finally, it’s important to monitor and audit compliance with GDPR regulations. This includes regularly reviewing and auditing processes and systems, as well as monitoring employee compliance with GDPR regulations.

Make sure that you have a process in place for addressing any non-compliance issues that may arise, and that you are taking the necessary steps to correct any issues and prevent them from happening again in the future. Regularly reporting on your organisation’s compliance with GDPR regulations can help to ensure that your employees are aware of their responsibilities and are taking the necessary steps to protect personal data.

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Getting employees to comply with GDPR can be a challenge

Getting employees to comply with GDPR regulations can be a challenge, but it is essential to ensure the protection of personal data and to avoid potential fines and penalties. By providing training and education, communicating the consequences, creating a culture of compliance, leading by example, using technology, and monitoring and auditing compliance, organisations can ensure that their employees are aware of and comply with GDPR regulations. By taking a proactive approach to compliance, organisations can protect personal data and avoid potential risks to their business.

A smarter way to comply with GDPR

AI-powered data discovery can identify data in minutes, saving your teams valuable time and letting them focus on other tasks. Our RequestManager takes the stress out of responding to DSARs, and our easy-to-use add-in for Outlook gives people a simple way to share data safely. At Safe Online, we have created solutions so that companies can process their sensitive data responsibly:

DataMapper – Find your sensitive data
ShareSimple – Send and receive data securely in Outlook
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Sebastian Allerelli

Founder & COO at Safe Online
Governance, Risk & Compliance Specialist
Follow me on LinkedIn to get tips on GDPR →

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