The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has fundamentally reshaped how organisations handle personal data, and its impact on Human Resources is profound. HR departments manage vast amounts of sensitive employee information, making compliance a critical priority. For employers, understanding and implementing GDPR principles is essential not only to avoid substantial fines, but also to build trust and protect the privacy of their workforce.
《通用数据保护条例》(GDPR) 从根本上改变了组织处理个人数据的方式，对人力资源的影响尤为深远。人力资源部门管理着大量的敏感员工信息，因此合规至关重要。对于雇主而言，理解并落实 GDPR 原则不仅是为了避免巨额罚款，更是为了建立信任并保护员工的隐私。
Lawful Bases for Processing HR Data
处理人力资源数据的合法依据
Under GDPR, you must have a valid legal reason, or “lawful basis”, to process employee data. While consent is one basis, it can be problematic in an employer–employee relationship due to the inherent power imbalance. Instead, HR departments should primarily rely on other bases:
在《通用数据保护条例》（GDPR）的规定下，您必须拥有有效的法律理由，即“合法依据”，才能处理员工数据。虽然“同意”是依据之一，但在雇主与员工的关系中，由于双方存在固有的权力失衡，将其作为依据可能会产生问题。相反，人力资源部门应主要依赖以下其他依据：
- Performance of a Contract: Processing data necessary to fulfil the employment contract, such as paying a salary or managing benefits.
- Legal Obligation: Processing required to comply with the law, such as remitting taxes or social security contributions.
- Legitimate Interest: Processing for a legitimate business purpose, such as monitoring security or managing workforce planning, provided it does not override the employee’s rights.
- 履行合同：处理为履行雇佣合同所必需的数据，例如支付薪酬或管理福利。
- 法定义务：为遵守法律而必须进行的数据处理，例如缴纳税款或社会保障缴款。
- 正当利益：为实现合法的商业目的而进行的数据处理，例如进行安全监控或管理员工队伍规划，前提是该处理不会凌驾于员工的权利之上
Key GDPR Principles for HR
人力资源领域的 GDPR 核心原则
Source: SabbirAhmed on Freepik
A compliant HR function must embed several core GDPR principles into its daily operations. These principles guide how you collect, use, and protect employee data throughout its lifecycle.
一个合规的人力资源部门必须将几项 GDPR 的核心原则贯彻到其日常运营中。这些原则旨在指导您如何在员工数据的整个生命周期内，对其进行收集、使用和保护。
Data Minimisation and Retention
数据最小化与保留
Collect only the data you absolutely need for a specific, defined purpose. Do not gather extra information “just in case”. Furthermore, you must establish clear data retention policies, defining how long you will store employee data after they leave the company and ensuring it is securely deleted once that period expires.
仅收集特定、明确目的所绝对必要的数据，切勿以”以备不时之需”为由收集额外信息。此外，您必须建立明确的数据保留政策，规定员工离职后数据的保存期限，并确保在该期限届满后将其安全删除。
Transparency and Employee Rights
透明度与员工权利
You must provide employees with a clear and accessible privacy notice explaining what data you collect, why you collect it, and how it is used. Employees also have several rights, including the right to access their data (Data Subject Access Request, or DSAR). You must have a clear process for responding to DSARs within the one-month deadline. Achieving and maintaining GDPR compliance requires these processes to be thoroughly documented.
您必须向员工提供一份清晰且方便查阅的隐私声明，说明您收集了哪些数据、收集的原因以及数据将如何被使用。员工还享有多项权利，包括访问其个人数据的权利（数据主体访问请求，简称 DSAR）。同时您必须建立清晰的流程，以便在一个月的期限内对 DSAR 做出响应。为了实现并保持 GDPR合规，需要将这些流程进行详尽的记录。
Security and Cross-Border Data Transfers
安全与跨境数据传输
Protecting HR data is non-negotiable. This involves implementing robust security measures, including:
保护人力资源数据是不可妥协的底线。这需要实施稳健的安全措施，包括：
- Access Controls: Limiting access to sensitive HR data to only those employees who require it for their job function.
- Encryption: Encrypting data both at rest (when stored) and in transit (when transmitted).
- Vendor Management: When using third-party vendors, such as payroll providers, you must have a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) in place. This contract ensures the vendor also adheres to GDPR standards.
- 访问控制：将敏感人力资源数据的访问权限，严格限定于因工作职能确实需要访问该数据的员工。
- 加密：对静态数据（存储时）和动态数据（传输时）均实施加密保护。
- 供应商管理：在使用第三方供应商（例如薪酬服务提供商）时，必须签署并落实《数据处理协议》（DPA）。该合同可确保供应商同样遵守 GDPR 标准。
If you transfer HR data outside the European Economic Area (EEA), you must use a legally recognised mechanism, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), to ensure the data remains protected. A unified system, such as the BIPO platform, can help manage data securely across different legal jurisdictions. Finally, establish a clear breach notification procedure to ensure you can meet the 72-hour reporting deadline in the event of a data breach.
如果您将人力资源数据传输到欧洲经济区（EEA）之外，则必须采用法律认可的机制，例如“标准合同条款”（SCCs），以确保数据持续受到保护。采用如 BIPO 平台等统一系统，有助于在不同的法律管辖区内安全地管理数据。最后，应建立明确的数据泄露通知程序，以确保一旦发生数据泄露，能够在72小时的报告期限内完成上报。
Conclusion
结语
In conclusion, GDPR compliance in HR is an ongoing commitment, not a one-off project. It requires establishing a clear legal basis for data processing, adhering to principles of data minimisation and security, and respecting employee rights to transparency and access. By operationalising these requirements through clear policies, robust security measures, and diligent vendor management, employers can effectively mitigate risk and demonstrate a firm commitment to protecting their employees’ personal data.
总而言之，人力资源领域的GDPR合规是一项持续性承诺，而非一次性项目。它要求为数据处理建立明确的法律依据，遵循数据最小化与安全保护原则，并切实尊重员工对数据透明度和访问权的权利。通过制定清晰的政策、采取健全的安全措施以及严格的供应商管理，将上述要求落实到日常运营中，雇主方能有效降低合规风险，并充分彰显其保护员工个人数据的坚定承诺。
