Introduction
Flexworks HR Consulting Ltd (“the Company”) is committed to being transparent about how it collects and uses personal data, and to meeting its data protection obligations. This policy sets out the Company's commitment to data protection, and individual rights and obligations in relation to personal data.
This policy applies to the personal data of job applicants, employees, workers, contractors, volunteers, interns, apprentices, and former employees, referred to as HR-related personal data.
The Company has appointed Laura Majewski, Founding Director, as the person with responsibility for data protection compliance within the business. They can be contacted at lauramajewski@flexworkshr.com. Questions about this policy, or requests for further information, should be directed to them.
Definitions
"Personal data" is any information that relates to a living individual who can be identified from that information. Processing is any use that is made of data, including collecting, storing, amending, disclosing, or destroying it.
"Special categories of personal data" means information about an individual's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, health, sex life or sexual orientation and genetic and biometric data.
"Criminal records data" means information about an individual's criminal convictions and offences, and information relating to criminal allegations and proceedings.
Data Protection Principles
The Company processes HR-related personal data in accordance with the following data protection principles:
The Company tells individuals the reasons for processing their personal data, how it uses such data and the legal basis for processing in its privacy notices. It will not process personal data of individuals for other reasons. If the Company wants to start processing HR-related data for other reasons, individuals will be informed of this before any processing begins.
HR-related data will not be shared with third parties, except as set out in our privacy notice. Where the Company relies on its legitimate interests as the basis for processing data, it will carry out an assessment to ensure that those interests are not overridden by the rights and freedoms of individuals.
Where the Company processes special categories of personal data or criminal records data to perform obligations, to exercise rights in employment law, or for reasons of substantial public interest, this is done in accordance with the requirements for processing special category data and criminal records data.
The Company will update HR-related personal data promptly if an individual advises that their information has changed or is inaccurate.
Personal data gathered during the employment, worker, contractor or volunteer relationship, or apprenticeship or internship is held in the individual's personnel file (in hard copy or electronic format, or both). The periods for which the Company holds HR-related personal data are contained in its privacy notice.
The Company keeps a record of its processing activities in respect of HR-related personal data in accordance with the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
Individual Rights
As a data subject, individuals have several rights in relation to their personal data.
Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs)
Individuals have the right to make a subject access request. If an individual makes a subject access request, the Company will tell them:
The Company will also provide the individual with a copy of the personal data undergoing processing. This will normally be in electronic form if the individual has made a request electronically unless they agree otherwise.
To make a subject access request, the individual should send the request to lauramajewski@flexworkshr.com.
In some cases, proof of identification may be required before the request can be processed. The Company will inform the individual if it needs to verify their identity and the documents it requires.
The Company will normally respond to a request within a period of one month from the date it is received. In some cases, such as where the request is complex, it may respond within three months of the date the request is received. The Company will write to the individual within one month of receiving the original request to tell them if this is the case.
If a subject access request is manifestly unfounded or excessive, the Company is not obliged to comply with it. Alternatively, the Company can agree to respond but will charge a fee, which will be based on the administrative cost of responding to the request. A subject access request is likely to be manifestly unfounded if it is made with the intention of harassing the Company or causing disruption, or excessive where it repeats a request to which the Company has already responded. If an individual submits a request that is unfounded or excessive, the Company will notify them that this is the case and whether it will respond to it.
Other Rights
Individuals have several other rights in relation to their personal data. They can require the Company to:
To ask the Company to take any of these steps, the individual should send the request to lauramajewski@flexworkshr.com.
Data Security
The Company takes the security of HR-related personal data seriously. The Company has internal policies and controls in place to protect personal data against loss, accidental destruction, misuse, or disclosure, and to ensure that data is not accessed, except by employees in the proper performance of their duties.
Where the Company engages third parties to process personal data on its behalf, such parties do so based on written instructions, are under a duty of confidentiality and are obliged to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the security of data.
Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs)
Some of the processing that the Company carries out may result in risks to privacy. Where processing would result in a high risk to individual rights and freedoms, the Company will carry out a data protection impact assessment to determine the necessity and proportionality of processing. This will include considering the purposes for which the activity is carried out, the risks for individuals and the measures that can be put in place to mitigate those risks.
Data breaches
If the Company discovers that there has been a breach of HR-related personal data that poses a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, it will report it to the Information Commissioner within 72 hours of discovery. The Company will record all data breaches regardless of their effect.
If the breach is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, it will tell affected individuals that there has been a breach and provide them with information about its likely consequences and the mitigation measures it has taken.
International Data Transfers
The Company will not transfer HR-related personal data to countries outside the UK.
Individual Responsibilities
Individuals are responsible for helping the Company keep their personal data up to date. Individuals should let the Company know if data provided changes, for example if an individual moves house or changes bank details.
Individuals may have access to the personal data of other individuals, and of our customers and clients in the course of their employment, contract, volunteer period, internship, or apprenticeship. Where this is the case, the Company relies on individuals to help meet its data protection obligations to staff, and to customers and clients.
Individuals who have access to personal data are required: