Protection of employees' personal data

"Any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person" is considered personal data. Within the scope of the employment relationship, the person whose personal data must be protected is the employee. The employee's personal data may be processed during the recruitment process, throughout the continuation of the employment relationship, or after the termination of the employment contract. Therefore, the protection of the employee's personal data, as the weaker party in the employment contract, holds special significance. Although there is no direct regulation concerning the protection of employees' personal data in our legal system, various national and international regulations, primarily Law No. 6698 on the Protection of Personal Data, are indirectly applicable to this area. This study addresses these regulations and explains the procedures and principles under which the employee's personal data may be processed. Additionally, it evaluates the lawful grounds on which the employer may process data and outlines the legal remedies available to the employee in cases of unlawful processing of personal data.