States aim to add new privacy duties to HR.

Protecting employee privacy has always been a priority for HR. But a new California law has upped the ante on safeguarding employees' personal data--and the law may become a model for legislation in other states.

The California Privacy Rights Act protects the privacy of all personal information collected on applicants, employees and former employees.

The law requires employers to post a detailed policy explaining how they safeguard HR data, allow employees to request deletion or correction of their personal info and receive a copy of that information on request. Third parties that handle HR data will also have to comply.

What's considered "personal information"? It includes the expected things like banking data and SSNs. But also things like union membership, health...