Matthew explains the idiosyncrasies of the pending GDPR legislation – NOT!
It has fallen to me as it is part of my remit to ensure that the 25th May 2018 isn’t the day that the Sheriff Of Nottingham arrives at Get Carter Towers and demands a levy that ensures we are no longer a viable business. This is the day for everybody who doesn’t know (please reply by email as there is a prize for that person) that the new GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) comes into force.
On the face of it the complexities around what is classed as personal, business, identifiable data had me running for the treetops. Maybe we could operate outside of all this bureaucracy, after all, we are a good bunch, our intentions are always honourable, and we never call anybody when they're having their tea.
Oh no – how wrong can one be?
After a conversation with an expert in the area, we're now fully across it. Here's a precis of the conversation.
Where is your data map?
What do you mean you haven’t got a data map?
Privacy statement?
You haven’t got a Privacy statement…?
(incredulous disbelief)
Well, you definitely won’t have a Breach policy or an appointed DPO*.
*Data Protection officer (I had no idea either and now I'm our self-appointed DPO – how did that happen!?!?!)
Read into this tones of disdain and eyebrow-raising in a voice a la when that WI member admits they can’t make a Victoria sponge cake from scratch.
It is safe to say you must be a certain personality type to enjoy this stuff. If you are an HR qualified professional, you have to know about this stuff. If you are an employment legal eagle you must know about this stuff. If you are involved in the running of an organisation or a part of the team that gets the job done (whatever that job is) – I’m pretty sure you will hate all this stuff.
Suffice to say love it or hate it – you will have to comply. If you don’t there are fines, hefty fines, business-ending fines, the Tower of London awaits.
Anyway, we engaged the services of a lovely highly qualified HR consultant and I am now able to publish our Privacy statement – please see below. If I don’t hear otherwise I can now continue to contact you or can I?
Click Here - GCP External Privacy Notice
Will the wheels of business and industry stop to turn as companies are now paralysed with fear to reach out to one and other? Are the days of we would really like to work with Company X as we know we could do a great job for them over? Will the sales efforts (the lifeblood) of most companies cease to be?
No - none of this will happen. The economy dictates that people will always need to do business. I personally hope that some unscrupulous operators are fined. Will it stop scammers? Absolutely not, they don’t care about the law. Will it boost the coffers of some organisations that have jumped on the back of it with advice and training consultancies? Maybe.
What will it actually achieve? I’m far too far away from the branch to ever know, but I suspect the answer is not a great deal.
Will there be new legislation in a few years’ time? Probably.
Having said all of that if you need to re-connect with a tranche of customers you have had to delete from your database you could consider radio – just a thought. You know where we are.
Happy GDPR-ing.
Matthew Bromham
