New data protection and coronavirus information hub
General guidance
The information hub (see Follow up ) sets out general guidance, in Q&A format, covering what you need to know about data protection during the pandemic, including the security measures for working from home. It usefully includes a section enabling you to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for further advice.
Specific guidance
There’s also specific guidance on the ICO’s regulatory approach during coronavirus and on workplace testing. The former provides that the ICO will take an “empathetic and pragmatic approach” to enforcement, giving organisations longer to respond during investigations and possibly longer to rectify any breaches. It also expects fewer investigations to be conducted and a reduction in the level of fines. The latter covers the extent to which you can carry out tests on workers to determine if they have coronavirus or symptoms of it. It makes clear that any testing needs to comply with the GDPR .
Pro advice. The guidance discusses such areas as: the lawful basis that can be used for testing employees; demonstrating compliance with data protection principles; data retention and sharing; and the use of on-site temperature checks or thermal cameras for testing staff.
Data protection and coronavirus information hub