The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and an influential trade union yesterday rejected a code of practice for monitoring in the workplace, saying it was too unclear.
Speaking at the Legco home affairs panel, Cliff Chan, the chamber's small and medium enterprises representative, said he was most concerned by the legal definition of e-mails.
Dr Chan said it would be difficult to determine how personal information would differ from business data under any definition of an e-mail.
He added that laws were in place to protect against unlawful surveillance.
'It could spark a very big disturbance to introduce such a code when it is so unclear as to how to define personal data and business information,' he said.
'At this stage, we therefore will only agree to the introduction of a guidance document [on the subject of monitoring and personal data privacy],' he said.
Ng Wai-yee, director of social affairs of the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions, said the draft code was too subjective and lop-sided towards employers.