How payroll bureaux can optimise security

The introduction of GDPR alongside the UK’s Data Protection Act created an enormous amount of pressure for businesses to remain secure.

As a payroll processor, you’re responsible for some of the most sensitive data such as name, address, National Insurance and bank details.

This blog will take a look at the strict requirements that you must meet and also examine what solutions are available to support.

The right to be informed

Transparency is a key requirement of GDPR, and individuals have the right to be informed if you wish to collect and use their data.

Payroll bureaux must ensure that their processes encompass this part of GDPR, communicating with clients and their employees the reasoning for holding data.

The right to access

If you’re storing an individual’s data, they have the right to access it and can make subject access requests verbally or in writing.

As a third-party processor, you must ensure clients and their teams have access to their personal information, this can be through an online payroll portal such as 12Pay by IRIS.

The right to rectification

If the data you’re storing is inaccurate, individuals can request to have the data rectified.

As accurate data plays such a crucial role in payroll, providing clients with this opportunity doesn’t only ensure compliance but also helps guarantee processes are correct.

The right to erasure

People who you hold data on can make either a verbal or written request to be erased from your database.

You may currently be storing dead data and be in breach of security legislation but by using good payroll software you can easily manage the records and delete the necessary files.

The right to restrict processing

Those that you store data on can also request the restriction or suppression of their data but only in certain circumstances.

This is incredibly unlikely to occur in the payroll industry but regardless, you must ensure that you’re able to carry out the request if it ever occurs.

The right to data portability

You may also be met with the request for clients to move, copy or transfer personal data from one IT environment to another in a safe and secure way.

Especially as employees come and go you must be able to respond to data portability request, allowing leavers to take their data with them to their new employer.

The right to object

GDPR also provides individuals with the right to object the processing of their data in certain scenarios.

However, if you can show you have a good reason to process the data, e.g. you’re paying them, you can override the request.

How can 12Pay help?

We offer a variety of different payroll software packages to meet the needs of any business, each of which ensures fantastic security and compliance.

12Pay eradicates the need for duplicate data entries, you only need to input information once, and you can even import external information via a spreadsheet import.

Additionally, 12Pay has various modules such as OpenPayslips which enables you to securely publish clients’ payslips via an encrypted portal.

If you’re looking to ensure compliance and want more information on our various payroll packages, click here.