Biometric Authentication In The Workplace In Terms Of Employee Privacy

1. Employee Monitoring

Employee monitoring is considered one of the employer rights. Reasons for monitoring stand as providing security, tracking work hours, authorizing access. Methods used for employee monitoring are numerous, especially after drastic technological developments. These methods could chronologically be counted as forms signed with wet signature, magnetic ID cards, fingerprint scanner etc. Fingerprint is biometric data thus should be protected by employers. Otherwise, the risk of data breach, paying for damages, administrative fines shall become unavoidable.

1. Employee Monitoring Software and Biometric Data

Data protection is regulated via Law No:6698 on the Protection of Personal Data ("PPD Law") in Turkey and General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") in the EU. In light of those regulations personal data, biometric data concepts and conditions to process employees' biometric data are explained below.