Do UK Businesses Need to Appoint a GDPR Rep Today?

GDPR has become an important topic ever since it was introduced, and more and more businesses are finding themselves having to appoint a specialized GDPR representative just to make sure that they stay compliant. However, not all businesses know if they need to appoint one.

Figuring out GDPR can be tough for even the largest businesses, let alone small ones. How do you know if you need to appoint a GDPR rep, and how do you actually get good GDPR representation?

Legal Requirements

If you are operating entirely in the UK, then you do not necessarily need a GDPR representative. However, the moment any of your business dealings involve the EU, GDPR representation becomes far more important, and a proper GDPR representative usually becomes a requirement.

Having a representative means that you can comply with the General Data Protection Regulation laws, which impact any country in the EU. Even if you do not have an office there, you still need to ensure that you are following GDPR properly, and that means complying with all of the necessary regulations.

By having a proper GDPR representative, you can ensure that you are not violating any major regulations. The GDPR representative’s job is to handle any problems that might arise relating to GDPR and to understand the regulations put forth by GDPR so that you can avoid causing any future issues that might take a while to resolve.

Choosing a Representative

Finding a good GDPR representative means either choosing an existing employee, hiring somebody new, or outsourcing. For many companies, outsourcing is the ideal option, but there are also benefits to using an internal source of GDPR representation. Either way, you need to choose somebody that you can trust with your GDPR management.

A good representative needs to not only understand GDPR as a whole but have the necessary skills to actually approach GDPR violations or concerns correctly. Success in skill-related tests like CSCS mock tests can be relevant, as can experience with handling GDPR regulations as a whole.

Outsourced or Internal?

One of the biggest concerns with most GDPR work is whether or not to outsource. While internal specialists might be a bit easier to manage, third-party experts and outsourced GDPR rep services are much cheaper and more convenient for the average business. Smaller businesses are especially reliant on outsourced services since most can’t afford to support their own teams.

This means that outsourced GDPR representation might be the best place to turn, especially if you are operating with a very limited budget. The downsides of outsourcing this work are minimal, and the benefits are all very useful for a smaller business that can’t support anything larger or more expensive.

Even larger companies tend to use outsourced GDPR representation services since these are more affordable and free up money for other things. Since you are not relying on using your own staff, you also do not have to pull anybody away from another project just to act as a GDPR representative – something that minimizes how disruptive GDPR will be to your business as a whole.