Workers’ personal data

The protection of workers’ personal data is a long-standing concern in the world of work. In 1997, the ILO issued a Code of Practice on the Protection of workers’ personal data to provide guidance for the development of regulation, as well as policies and practical measures at the enterprise level for how employers should handle the collection of workers’ personal data.

Employers collect personal data on job applicants and workers for a myriad of purposes: to comply with law; to assist in selection for employment, training and promotion; to organize work; to ensure personal safety, personal security, quality control, customer service and the protection of property.

Advances in digitalization have intensified the collection and use of data in the workplace, with possible consequences for workers’ personal data. In March 2024, the ILO Governing Body agreed to hold a tripartite meeting of experts on the protection of personal data in the digital era.