“This study on “the legal protection of workers’ personal data” aims to develop the knowledge base on this subject in light of legal and technological developments. The purpose of this working paper is to give an overview of legal standards related to workers’ personal data protection and, from both a global and regional point of view, to explore trends, principles and good practices. The legal landscape in the field of personal data protection has strongly evolved over time. Many global and regional initiatives have led to standards on personal data protection. The European Union came with a ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ (GDPR) in 2016. Twenty years earlier, the ILO adopted its Code of Practice on the protection of workers’ personal data.1 Other forms of standards developed both within regional organisations as well as in many countries around the world. The aim of this working paper is to give a global and updated outlook of the main and basic principles in this area, taking into account legal sources and principles from a comparative perspective. In light of this, the focus will be on data protection principles which have a general nature and which can be embedded in a global approach of ‘the basics’, laying ground for a variety of circumstances. Against this background, this working paper attempts to expose and clarify general data protection principles, having in mind that these principles are applicable in the context of the employment relationship. An understanding of the general data protection principles themselves is considered necessary in order to comprehend their application in the work environment. ”

https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_protect/—protrav/—travail/documents/publication/wcms_844343.pdf