Balancing Data Utilization and Privacy Protection in Achieving Data-Driven Employee Health Management and Preventive Health Activities

抄録

In recent years, absenteeism and presenteeism caused by stress and mental illness have become serious issues for companies, resulting in reduced labor productivity and economic losses. This paper examines the potential of data-driven approaches to employee health management and preventive health activities and presents practical considerations for balancing data utilization with privacy protection. Shionogi & Co., Ltd. conducted a formal research project on employee stress prediction using wearable devices, questionnaires, and attendance information, as well as an internal employee-support initiative using daily pulse surveys. Rather than emphasizing technical performance alone, this paper focuses on practical governance issues involved in handling employee-related data, including purpose limitation, consent, pseudonymization, access control, and restrictions on secondary use. The 2 cases differed in legal and organizational character: the first was conducted as formal research subject to ethics review, whereas the second was implemented as an internal support activity. These cases suggest that employee-related data may help organizations understand employee conditions and provide timely support when used within an appropriate governance framework. At the same time, the use of such data requires a careful distinction among legal requirements, guidance-based good practices, and ethical considerations. Sustainable data-driven employee health management depends not only on technical feasibility but also on trust, transparency, and appropriate institutional design.