HR & PEOPLE MASTERMIND: The Hidden Risks of Subject Access Requests

“It’s a pain for employers – and people know it.”

Katy Wade, learning and development manager at Bespoke HR, has seen a huge rise in Subject Access Requests (SARs) – once rare, now cropping up in almost every grievance she handles. 

And while they’re meant to help employees access their personal data, many are now used tactically.

“I saw someone say in a chat, ‘Put in a SAR, it’s a pain in the arse for them – I like being a pain when someone’s doing my head in,’” recalls Katy. “And they’re right – it’s a lot of work for agencies to pull everything together.”

But here’s the real danger: SARs don’t just uncover formal HR records. They sweep up all the background noise of performance management – the Teams chat where a manager vents, the email saying_, “We need to get them out,” and even the casual note between colleagues.

“If before a disciplinary you’ve already said, ‘We need to exit them,’ you’ve decided the outcome before the process,” says Katy. “If that’s disclosed, it can win an unfair dismissal claim.”

In this session, Katy will cover:

• What SARs mean in practical terms – and why they’re on the rise.
• The hidden risks lurking in emails, chats, and internal conversations.
• How to balance confidentiality and transparency.
• The right language, tone, and process to keep performance management fair – and defensible.

If you’re a leader or HR professional, this is a vital session to protect your agency from costly mistakes hiding in plain sight.