Vitasoy Photo:VCG

Vitasoy, a Hong Kong beverage company, was recently reported to have required its employees to provide personal and family information, including work experience, membership in professional associations and contacts with agencies in a bid to upgrade its human resources system, local media reported on Saturday.

The company allegedly stated that it will share the information with law enforcement authorities if requested.

The company also said that "If the employee fails to provide the information, the company may not be able to honor its contract with the employee," and could retain the salary, according to the report.

In response to media enquiry about the move, Vitasoy replied that the company had undergone an electronic update to its human resources system and needed to confirm the information with its employees before transferring it to the new system.

Vitasoy confirmed with the Global Times on Monday that the company "has commenced an upgrade of the HR digital system," hence it has approached staff members "for seeking their authorization of migrating general personal information to the new system."

The company said that "the information involved including the curriculum vitae and professional membership provided by staff members as well as the contact information of their family members," adding that "Vitasoy handles the personal information of our staff in a strict and careful manner." 

In the reply, the company explained that the contact information of employees' family members is for liaising in emergency and also for the group medical insurance (if applicable).

"We are now arranging staff briefing sessions in these two weeks to introduce the new HR digital system," the company said.

The company's move raised many questions about the excessive collection of personal information and the invasion of privacy, and people wonder if the move was connected with the stabbing of a police officer on July 1

On July 1, which marked the grand celebration of the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 24th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, a Vitasoy employee stabbed a Hong Kong police officer and later killed himself in the street in a lone-wolf style terrorist attack.