Data Protection implications of the Return to Work Safely Protocol

26th June 2020

Employers and employees are currently in the process of implementing, or preparing to implement a phased return to work as part of the Government’s ‘roadmap for reopening society and business’. In order to support employers and employees with this initiative, the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (“the DBEI”) and the Department of Health recently published a Return to Work Safely Protocol (“the Protocol”). The DBEI has also recently published explanatory guidance to support employers where the implementation of measures recommended by the Protocol result in the processing of personal data.

The purpose of this guidance document is to provide advice to employers on the implementation of the recommendations of the Protocol in a manner that complies with their obligations as data controllers under the GDPR and Data Protection Act, 2018.

Data Protection implications of the Return to Work Safely Protocol