The requests
When somebody asks
The most common formal event an employer faces, arriving at the worst moment and usually handled a fortnight late.
When an Employee Asks for Their Data
The most common formal event an employer faces, arriving at the worst moment and usually handled a fortnight late.
Searching Properly, and Recording That You Did
The standard is reasonable searches, which is a lower bar than organisations fear and a higher one than they usually meet.
What You May Withhold
The exemptions are narrower than employers hope and wider than employees expect, and each has to be applied document by document.
Other People in the Documents
The main reason material gets withheld, and the judgement employers most often get wrong in both directions.
The Request Made During a Dispute
Most requests arrive from people in conflict with the employer. The motive is irrelevant to the obligation, and the temptation to treat it otherwise is the main risk.
Correction, Objection and the Other Rights
Access is the one people use. Five others exist, each with a different answer in an employment context, and the answers are mostly narrower than people expect.
The Request You Cannot Fully Answer
Sometimes the data is gone, scattered or unreachable. Saying so clearly is a better position than a partial response that implies completeness.