On 25 January 2024, Rajah & Tann organised its first instalment of its continuing monthly seminar series LearningBytes 2024, which brings together subject matter experts to discuss pressing legal and regulatory issues that concern businesses in Singapore and around the region. This month’s seminar tackled “Privacy and Data Management in Workplace Investigations”.
The collection and processing of data is crucial to the success and defensibility of a Workplace Investigation, particularly when much of the evidence collected and reviewed will be sensitive and confidential. With regulators worldwide keeping a tighter rein on personal data protection and employees becoming savvier and more litigious, employers need to understand and skilfully navigate the rapidly evolving legislative landscape and guidelines surrounding data protection, as well as applying best practices.
At the hybrid event, Jonathan Yuen, Head of the Employment (Disputes) Practice, and Rajesh Sreenivasan, Head of the Technology, Media & Telecommunications Practice, took a deep-dive into the pivotal issues and concerns that arise from employment investigations which often turn contentious and require pre-emptive strategies and active management, including (i) consent acquisition and withdrawal to the assessment of legal bases; (ii) regional cross-border data transfers; (iii) the scope of legitimate use of employee personal data, and (iv) strategies on proper use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in processing employee data for investigative purposes.
