What this tool is for
It helps you work out whether something your employer is doing, or asking you to do, is actually allowed under UK privacy and data protection law. You describe what is happening, and you get a plain English view on whether it looks lawful and what your options are if it does not.
It covers the most common workplace issues, including CCTV at your desk or in break areas, reading of emails and messages, tracking of company phones or vehicles, keystroke and productivity software, drug and alcohol testing, medical questions, social media checks, and requests for copies of ID or bank details.
Who should use it
It is for employees, workers, agency staff and apprentices in the UK who feel that something at work has crossed a line but are not sure whether the law agrees. That might be a new monitoring system that appeared without warning, a manager asking for information that feels too personal, or a policy that seems to go further than the job needs.
It is also useful if you are about to raise a grievance, reply to a disciplinary based on monitoring evidence, or make a subject access request, and you want to check the ground you are standing on first. It is not a substitute for tailored legal advice, but it will tell you whether your concern has a proper basis in law before you spend money on a solicitor.
How it works
You answer a short set of questions about what is being monitored or requested, how you were told about it, and the reason your employer has given. The tool then gives you a written summary covering the likely legal position under UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Human Rights Act, along with practical next steps such as writing to HR, contacting the Information Commissioner's Office, or speaking to a union rep. Your answers are not saved and nothing you enter is linked to you.
Ask Employee Privacy Rights a question
Ask our editorial team a question and we will reply with our advice. Tell us as much about your situation as you can: the more detail you give, the more useful our answer can be.
You do not need to use your real name. Please do not include your full address, phone number, email address, or the names of other people. We may edit or remove identifying details for privacy and legal reasons.
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