Privacy advocates call for reforms to address use of sensitive data
A new report is calling for new provisions in Australia's privacy and workplace relations laws amid findings that some organisations are requiring blood analysis from job applicants.
Research from the Australia Institute's Centre for Future Work found that some organisations are using blood analysis to screen future employees for "health risks" that they allege may impact job performance.
"The findings in this report show that some workers have little choice but to agree to undertake invasive testing that allows organisations (and third parties) to use the sensitive information gathered through these tests," the report read.
"In the examples discussed in this report, workers were presented with a take it or leave it decision - No blood – No job."
Requiring employees to submit blood analysis is just one example of how organisations collect sensitive information from workers, according to the report, which is authored by senior researcher Lisa Heap.
It comes despite the country's privacy laws that restrict the collection of sensitive information from blood analysis amid concerns that information can be mishandled and lead to various consequences.
The report further found that collection of sensitive data also extends to biometric applications, such as facial recognition software and fingerprint technology, that gather physiological and psychological data from employees.
According to the report, the use of such applications is "only likely to grow."
"The use of this sensitive information by AI systems in business and human resources processes adopted by organisations is also growing. Data breaches are becoming more common," the report warned.
"Now is the time to tackle this difficult issue and to mandate that organisations respect workers' rights to have control over their personal and sensitive information."
According to the report, there is a need for new provisions in either or both privacy and workplace relations law that set out the rights of workers to protect their sensitive information.
"It argues that regulation should be geared towards, not only protecting workers’ rights to privacy, but to providing a disincentive to organisations hoarding and misuse of the personal and sensitive information of workers," the report read.
