Bare weeks after ruling that jobseekers cannot be subjected to lie detector tests, Hungarian Data Protection Ombudsman Máté Szabó has struck another blow against companies using unorthodox HR techniques, by decreeing that negative work evaluations for employees cannot be made public – even if employees agree to being publicly chastened. Szabó said the use of such “blacklists” does not correspond with the concept of “purpose limitation” contained in the country’s law on data protection.
Szabó published his opinion on the matter on his office’s website after receiving a query from a citizen, writes Hírszerző, based on an article in daily Népszava. The case in question involved an employer who placed a “board of shame” on a wall at the workplace, including this searing comment: “You are still a hidden treasure for us, but we are counting on your work.”
Despite the light touch of the cited evaluation, Szabó ruled that any such negative evaluation of an employees’ work cannot be made public, as it constitutes the personal data of the employee who is being criticized.
As for our view on Szabó’s judgment, in all honesty we’d have to say we think he’s full of… oh, nevermind.