The responsibilities and obligations of employers under European Data Protection Directives and the UK Data Protection Act can trigger a lot of issues when working in a global marketplace. When handling and transferring employee data from the EU to third countries such as the U.S., companies are required to identify and implement a legal basis for such transfers. Employers operating in the EU that collect or process personal information without adhering to member state laws or that transfer personal information from the EU to a country without adequate protection or a relevant exception, may incur substantial legal liability. Effective management of overseas data privacy, HR policies related to international applicants, and security involves a multi-disciplinary approach involving policy development, legislation, technology and business processes in order to fully understand data protection and privacy issues. In addition, HR data management is a process that must include a comprehensive Human Resource Data Privacy Management Plan for responding to the constant changes of both internal and external factors.
