1 minute read
Can we monitor time and attendance information?
Things to consider:
• Before undertaking any monitoring which uses information from an outside source, make sure your purpose (for example, suspicion of criminal activity) justifies the potential adverse impact. You should not search external sources for information about a worker without good reason. • Provide workers with privacy information so they can understand what sources are to be used and why. For more details, read our guidance on
Advertisement
What privacy information should we provide? • Take particular care with information about workers that you have because of a non-employment relationship with them. For example because they are or have been your customers, clients, or suppliers, or you are connected on social media or an online professional networking site. • Be cautious with information provided from a worker about another worker. Once information is disclosed to you as an employer, the information is no longer personal, and the UK GDPR may apply. • Make sure workers carrying out monitoring which involves information from third parties are properly trained. Ensure there are measures in place to prevent the disclosure or inappropriate use of information obtained through such monitoring. • You must only retain relevant information obtained through such monitoring. You may be able to simply record that a check has taken place and the result of this.
We will be producing guidance about social media and web-scraping in due course, as part of the forthcoming recruitment section of the employment practices guidance hub.
Further reading – ICO guidance
What information must we provide when we obtain personal data from another source?
Many employers have measures in place to restrict and record access to work. Uses may include:
• controlling access to buildings or areas of buildings (for example, server rooms); • controlling access to systems (for example, retail cashier systems; online platforms which connect workers with clients); • recording who is on site for fire safety purposes; and
