MD requested employees personal bank details

[Antoinette1976]

Hi my MD today asked me for some information including some employees personal bank details.

When I said I had to check if it was against the Data Protection Act he said that as he employs the staff he is entitled to their personal bank details.

Anyone know if this is against the Data Protection Act??

I may actually lose my job over saying I had to check so any help would be greatly received.

[TUTTSI]

Re: MD requested employees personal bank details

That sounds like a very peculiar request from an MD, but he must have his reasons. I am trying to think what possible reason could he have in wanting this info unless he was giving them money direct to their account, very strange indeed?

Are you the Data controller at the company?

In my opinion, I think you are right to have questioned his request, but have to say if I was in the same position as you I would also be concerned in giving out employees bank account details even to the MD?

On reflection I would just give this info to him, you do not want to put your job at risk.

Hi my MD today asked me for some information including some employees personal bank details.

When I said I had to check if it was against the Data Protection Act he said that as he employs the staff he is entitled to their personal bank details. This information should be on their individual records when they joined the company and suppose he could have just asked for the files to review?

Anyone know if this is against the Data Protection Act??

I may actually lose my job over saying I had to check so any help would be greatly received.

[Guest]

Re: MD requested employees personal bank details

Hi my MD today asked me for some information including some employees personal bank details.

When I said I had to check if it was against the Data Protection Act he said that as he employs the staff he is entitled to their personal bank details.

Anyone know if this is against the Data Protection Act??

I may actually lose my job over saying I had to check so any help would be greatly received.

What do you mean "...against the Data Protection Act?" because this question is meaningless and who are you to check and how did you propose to do so?

Why is it that your MD came to you with this request and why is it that you can have this information but your MD cannot?

In your company, you need to store and process personal data and this will include the bank details of employees. This (among other things) is what the Act covers. Nowhere does it state that data must be hidden away, never to be revealed to anyone.

The Act contains eight principles. These state that all data must be:

- Processed fairly and lawfully
- Obtained & used only for specified and lawful purposes
- Adequate, relevant and not excessive
- Accurate and where necessary, kept up to date
- Kept for no longer than necessary
- Processed in accordance with the individuals rights (as defined)
- Kept secure
- Transferred only to countries that offer adequate data protection

The purpose of the Act is to protect the rights of the individual about whom data is obtained, stored, processed or supplied and requires that appropriate security measures will be taken against unauthorised access to, or alteration, disclosure or destruction of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of personal data. It applies to anything at all done to personal data ("processing"), including collection, use, disclosure, destruction and merely holding data.

Data needs to be used and in order for it to be used, it must be held somewhere and it must be processed. Presumably you get paid at your company and therefore bank details are regularly processed and in order for you to get paid more than once, those bank details must also be stored.

I think you are worrying needlessly about what was a perfectly simple request.

Finally, if you believed that you may lose your job, why did you say you had to check?

[Caspar]

Re: MD requested employees personal bank details

As long as there's a genuine reason for it -eg-getting paid, there's no need to worry. Indeed my wife has just had to gove hers due to a change in the way she is paid.