Introduction

CAUSE is a “data controller” and collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants as part of our recruitment process. We are committed to being transparent about how we collect and use that data and to meeting our data protection obligations. This notice sets out the basis on which we collect, use and disclose the personal data of our job applicants, as well as your rights in respect of such personal data.

Information we collect about you

• your name, address and contact details, including email address and telephone number;
• details of your qualifications, skills, experience and employment history;
• information from interviews and phone-screenings you may have;
• information about your current level of remuneration, including benefit entitlements;
• information about your entitlement to work in the UK;
• and equal opportunities monitoring information, including information about your ethnic origin, sexual orientation, health and religion or belief;
• Access NI Enhanced Disclosure as per NI legislation.

We may collect this information in a variety of ways. For example, data might be contained in application forms, obtained from your passport or other identity documents, or collected through interviews or other methods of assessment

We may also collect personal data about you from third parties, such as references supplied by former employers.

 We will seek information from third parties only once a job offer has been made to you. Data will be stored in a range of different places, including on your application record, in our HR management systems and our email system.

Why does CAUSE process personal data?

CAUSE collects and processes your data for a number of purposes and where we have a legal basis to do so, as follows. CAUSE has a legitimate interest in processing personal data during the recruitment process and for keeping records of the process. Processing data from job applicants allows us to manage the recruitment process, assess and confirm a candidate’s suitability for employment and decide to whom to offer a job. We may also need to process data from job applicants to respond to and defend against legal claims. We will not use your data for any purpose other than the recruitment process of which you are a part

Who has access to data?

Your information may be shared internally within the company for the purposes of the recruitment process. This includes members of the Operations team, interviewers involved in the recruitment process, and managers in the business area with a vacancy. We will not share your data with third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and an offer of employment is made. We will then share your data with former employers in order to obtain references. In addition, we may need to share your personal information with a regulator or otherwise to comply with the law.

How does CAUSE protect data?

CAUSE takes the security of your data seriously. We have internal policies and controls in place to ensure that your data is not lost, accidentally destroyed, misused or disclosed, and is not accessed except by our personnel in the proper performance of their duties.

For how long does CAUSE keep data?

 If your application for employment is unsuccessful (including when you have speculatively applied to us in respect of a role which is not available), we will hold your data on file for 6 months. At the end of that period, your data is deleted or destroyed (unless we need to retain it for longer to exercise or defend any legal claims). If your application for employment is successful, personal data gathered during the recruitment process will be transferred to your personnel file and retained during your employment. The periods for which employee data is held will be provided to you in a separate privacy notice

How we process “special categories” of more sensitive personal information

We may also collect, store and use the following “special categories” of more sensitive personal information: Information about your race or ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and political opinions. Trade union membership (only where you have mentioned this in your application e.g. where you list being a union representative in “positions of responsibility”). Information about your health, including any medical condition, health and sickness including pre-employment screening.

Information about criminal convictions and offences.

• We only collect criminal conviction data where it is appropriate given the nature and where the law permits us. This data will usually be collected at the recruitment stage, however, may be also collected during employment should you be successful in obtaining employment.
• These “special categories” of particularly sensitive personal information require higher levels of protection. We need to have further justification for collecting, storing and using this type of personal information. Our data protection policy contains details of the safeguards which we are required by law to maintain when processing such data.
• We may process special categories of personal information in the following circumstances:
• Where we need to carry out our legal obligations or exercise rights in connection your application. For example, we will use information about your physical or mental health, or disability status, to ensure your health and safety in the workplace and to assess your fitness to work, to provide appropriate workplace adjustments, to monitor and manage sickness absence and to administer benefits.

Your Rights As a data subject you have the following rights:

• The right to be informed
• The right of access to make a subject access request – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• The right to rectification – you can ask that we correct any personal data found inaccurate or out of date.
• The right to erasure – you can ask that your personal data is erased
• The right to restrict processing – tell us to stop using information about you to sell products or services
• The right to data portability – provide you or someone else (on your request) in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format with the information you have provided to us about yourself.
• The right to object – you can tell us you longer would like us to process your data and to stop processing.
• Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling – request that we do not make decisions about you that allows computers to make decisions about you based solely on automated processing

You have the right to complain about how we treat your Personal Data and Special Personal Data to Information Commissioners Office on 03031231113 or via email https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/email/ or at the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, England.

To exercise all relevant rights, queries or complaints please in the first instance contact our Data Protection Representative Emma O’Neill at emma@cause.org.uk