You must comply with strict UK data protection laws when handling employee health data, such as managing sick leave or maternity leave. The UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) establish crucial rules for processing health data. Your business must understand and comply with these rules to avoid negative consequences such as data protection law enforcement action. This article outlines key considerations for employers under these laws when processing health data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The UK’s data protection is governed by the UK General Data Protection Regulation<\/a> (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018<\/a> (‘DPA 2018’).<\/p>\n\n\n\n These laws set out how your business should process personal data. The UK GDPR<\/a> forms the critical legal framework, and the DPA 2018 adds UK-specific provisions, especially concerning sensitive data such as health information and criminal records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Health data, classified as a special category of personal data under the UK GDPR, includes any information related to an employee’s physical or mental wellbeing, such as illnesses, medical conditions, treatments, or medical assessments. Due to its sensitivity, this data requires stricter protections and compliance with specific rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As an employer, you might need to process health data for several reasons, including but not limited to the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Information Constitutes Health Data?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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