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During the past few weeks, the BES Commission for the Protection of Personal Data Privacy (the Commission) organized interactive information sessions for employers on how to deal with workers’ personal data on St. Eustatius, Saba and Bonaire.
Awareness
The main purpose of the information sessions in March on the three islands was raising awareness among employers of the consequences of privacy legislation. In keeping with the central theme of ‘identity theft’, the ‘Dos and Don’ts’ of dealing with personal data were discussed. This led to a lot of discussion between the Commission and the participants and between the participants themselves.
Dos and Don’ts
Because there is still little known about the ground rules related to the concept of privacy, many situations were discussed like video surveillance, the use of social media and the Internet for job applications, employee screening, and how to deal with sick employees. Glenn Thodé, President of the Commission: “The meetings were well attended and the discussions were very useful in learning about the limits of privacy. There were many intensive discussions about the ground rules and the situations in which these ground rules apply and when they don’t. Every time it became clearer how current legislation affects the handling of personal data. For many participants, this was a real eye-opener!”
Ongoing dialogue
The Commission decided that for the coming period of time, there needs to be an intensive dialogue with all the stakeholders in society. Only then will the Commission proceed with enforcement. Roëlla Pourier of the Secretariat: “From the Commission’s side the focus will be on continuous dialogue with the organizations and people who have to comply with the law. Dialogue is the most effective way to draw attention to the possible risks which can result from careless handling of personal data. We will discuss the legislation’s framework with employers so that they can comply with the law appropriately.”
Follow-up actions
In the coming months, the Commission will conduct personal interviews with employers to answer questions related to their specific company situation. The Commission hopes to achieve its greatest impact through personal contact. In addition, its website (http://www.cbpbes.com) will be constantly updated with useful information about the law.
For questions concerning the proper handling of personal data, please contact Roëlla Pourier of the Secretariat via roella.pourier@rijksdienstcn.com, telephone +599 7158392.
Press release RCN