Global Solutions Episode 6: Consent To Collect? Processing Employee COVID-19 Data

In addition to the potential uses of contact-tracing apps, discussed recently in episode 1 of the Global Solutions series, most employers now conduct some form of employee screening or monitoring to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace and protect staff.

Processing employee information raises various data protection issues and requires compliance with certain data privacy obligations both within and outside the United States. Generally, irrespective of which particular law applies, there will be a requirement for employers to handle any captured information lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

This installment of the Global Solutions series focuses on such compliance obligations and whether employee consent can be relied upon in the United States and the European Union (EU) as a legal basis for processing COVID-19-related data.