Embedding Employee Data Protection in the Workplace: Designing Privacy and Autonomy Clauses

  • Workshop
  • Board Room
  • Friday 22.05 — 14:15 - 15:30

Organising Institution

Kenniscentrum ­­­ Data & Maatschappij

Belgium

The Knowledge Centre Data & Society develops and shares expertise on the ethical, legal, and societal aspects of data-driven applications and AI in Flanders, supporting policymakers, industry, civil society, and citizens. It publishes accessible research and guidance, develops practical tools and workshops on responsible AI use, monitors policy and legislative developments at Flemish, Belgian, and European levels, and tracks public attitudes towards AI. The centre builds stakeholder networks, contributes to legal frameworks and guidelines, and promotes informed public debate, translating these activities into a focused annual plan aligned with evolving societal and policy needs. Could you check the logo in the attachment to see if that’s the correct logo.
Digital technologies are transforming the employment relationship. Work is increasingly mediated by algorithmic management, AI-based evaluation systems, productivity analytics, biometric tools, and remote monitoring. These systems shape hiring, task allocation, performance assessment, and termination, reshaping workplace power dynamics. While the GDPR, the AI Act, labour law, and the Platform Workers Directive provide safeguards, workplace data practices are often defined through internal policies and collective agreements. Social dialogue must therefore evolve to address the digital dimension of work. This interactive workshop shifts from regulatory interpretation to normative design. After a brief framing of the legal landscape and key principles (necessity, proportionality, transparency, participation), participants collaborate in groups organised by employment model (platform, industrial, knowledge work) to draft enforceable model clauses: non-negotiable rights, conditional safeguards, oversight mechanisms, and enforcement provisions. A plenary synthesis identifies minimum safeguards, sectoral variations, and regulatory gaps, generating practical, transferable clauses adaptable across employment contexts.

Host

Nikolaos Papadopoulos

KU Leuven Centre for IT & IP Law - Belgium

Nikolaos A. Papadopoulos is a Senior Associate with Ballas, Pelecanos & Associates L.P.C. and a member of the IP, IT & CT, the Company, Tax & Employment and the Consumer Rights practice groups of the law firm. Nikolaos graduated from Democritus University of Thrace Law School (LL.B) and subsequently earned an Advanced Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) from Leiden Universiteit, Netherlands, in Law and Digital Technologies. He was selected to join the pool of experts of the European Data Protection Board for new technologies and information security. He is a lawyer before the Court of First Instance and was admitted in the Athens Bar Association in 2017. Nikolaos is also an accredited mediator for civil and commercial disputes.

Host

Sultan Erdogan

Kenniscentrum ­­­ Data & Maatschappij - Belgium