We know that when you get in touch with Workplace Representation Services, it is more than likely to be in connection with a matter of real worry or concern to you. We therefore want to be sure that when dealing with us you have confidence that we will carefully guard your privacy and any confidential information that you might choose to share with us.
At Workplace Representation Services we are fully committed to complying with the Data Protection Act and GDPR legislation.
Who we are
Our company is Workplace Representation Services and our services are promoted through our website, whose address is: https://www.workplace-representation.co.uk.
We provide information on our website to assist individuals who have problems or concerns at work with understanding their rights and entitlements. We also offer services designed to tackle such issues, through the provision of advice, support and representation. Furthermore, we can arrange accompaniment and representation at workplace meetings by an accredited union official.
If you require information on our Privacy Policy and or Cookies Policy, or any data we hold on you, please contact [email protected].
Definitions of interested parties
We make a number of references to different parties who may be referred to in this policy:
- Workplace Representation Services (also referred to as ‘we’,‘our’ or ‘us’). The owners of this website and providers of services described and promoted through this website. This may include any person employed by Workplace Representation Services, acting as a consultant or otherwise providing services to us.
- User. Any person who accesses the website’s content.
- Client. Any person who has established – or expressed interest in establishing – a relationship with Workplace Representation Services, to take advantage of our services.
- Relevant third parties. These concern any person or organisation with whom we need to liaise to provide the services our clients have engaged. Depending upon circumstances, this could include your employer or its representatives, legal advisers, our union partner, ACAS, etc.
Our policies are intended to comply fully with the requirement of the UK’s Data Protection Laws; the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679; and the Privacy and Electronic Communication (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 as amended by the Privacy and Electronic Communication (EC Directive) Regulations 2011.
When we collect your data
We may collect your data in all the following circumstances:
- When you visit our website (anonymised)
- When you complete Comments sections on our website
- When you complete our website Contact Form or email us
- When you meet, correspond or speak with us in order to avail yourself of our services
- When you have authorised a third-party to share with us information that they may hold about you.
The data that we collect is therefore that which is either given to us by you or collected automatically.
What personal data we collect and why we collect it
Comments
When users leave comments on the site, we collect the data entered by the User in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.
An anonymised string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.
Contact forms
When users complete our website contact form, the information provided will be used to generate an email.
The content of emails will be retained for no more than two years from the last date of contact with a user or client before being deleted.
Client contact
If you choose to access our services as a client, we will issue you a ‘Conditions of Service’ that we will require you to accept before we can actively support you and act upon your behalf as a representative. In this, you will provide your consent to how we will handle your personal data in order to most effectively avail you of our support.
We will only require from you that information necessary to effectively advise, support and represent you.
We also set out in the ‘Conditions of Service’ the circumstances in which we may be required to share your personal information with relevant third parties (i.e. your employer or its representatives, legal advisers, our union partner, ACAS, etc). This would only be with your prior consent.
All personal data you provide to us as a client will be stored securely and only retained for a maximum of 2 years from the last date of contact, before being deleted or destroyed.
The exception to this is that data necessary to satisfy the requirements of HM Revenue and Customs and other government authorities (i.e. a brief record of your name, work carried out on your behalf, location, date and payments received). This will be retained for up to 7 years.
How we use your data
The data that we do collect will be used only for the purpose of providing you with the best possible service and experience whilst using our website, and for providing you with advice, support and representation.
Under no circumstances will we sell or otherwise trade your data to a third party.
The data that we do receive may be used for:
- Internal record keeping purposes
- To enable us to meet your needs as a client
- To monitor and improve the functioning of our website.
At all times your data will be only used for legitimate purposes.
Who we may share your data with
We may share your data for the following legitimate reasons.
Client Representation – Union Membership
If, as a client, you require accompaniment or representation at a meeting with your employer, it will be necessary for us to share data with a union partner. This would not occur without first receiving your express consent through your acceptance of our ‘Conditions of Service’ that you will be issued at the time.
When this happens, we will collect from you and share your following personal data with our union partner in order to enrol you as a member of its organisation. This data would include:
- Your name
- Date of birth
- Details of your employer and employment
- Home address, email address and telephone contact details
- Length of employment service
Our union partner may subsequently contact you to establish whether you would like to remain a member beyond the ‘initial membership period’ of three months that will be arranged by us as part of your payment for our representation services.
Relevant Third Parties
It may be necessary to discuss or share your data with relevant third parties in order to most effectively meet your advice, support and representation needs.
This could include speaking or corresponding with your employer or one of its representatives, a legal representative, ACAS or another relevant third party. This would not occur without first receiving your express consent through your acceptance of our ‘Conditions of Service’.
UK-based Authorities
If we are required to by law, it may be necessary to share your personal data with HM Revenue and Customs or other UK-based authorities.
How you can withdraw your consent
You can choose to withdraw your consent for us to share your data with any third parties whenever you choose to.
Where we send your data
If, as a user, you seek to post comments on our website, these may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
We will not send your data outside of the European Economic Area (EEA).
How we protect your data
We take the security of your data seriously.
We have applied reasonable technological and security procedures to ensure that your data is not lost, accidentally destroyed, misused or disclosed, and is not accessed except by Workplace Representation Services in the proper performance of our duties. This includes:
- Use of firewalls, virus protection, etc
- Data encryption
- Password protection systems
We regularly review our security and protection policies to ensure they are robust.
If you at any time suspect any loss, misuse or unauthorised access to your data, please let us know straightaway at [email protected].
What rights you have over your data
You have a number of important rights over your personal data which we are committed to swiftly fulfilling at your request.
To exercise these rights, you should either email us at [email protected].
Right to access
You have a right to request copies of any of your personal data which we may hold.
We will aim to promptly satisfy all requests; and certainly within one month of receiving your request. This will be provided free of charge.
Right to amend
You have a right to insist that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data that we hold in relation to yourself.
Right to be forgotten
You have a right to insist that we erase, delete or remove any of your personal data from our systems.
Right to restrict
You have a right to limit and restrict how we use your data.
Right to data portability
You have the right to request that we move, copy or transfer your data.
Right to object
You have a right to object to how we may intend to use of your data, even where this is for our legitimate interests.
When we link to other websites
This website contains links to third-party web sites or services that are not owned or controlled by Workplace Representation Services.
Workplace Representation Services has no control over, and assumes no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party web sites or services. You further acknowledge and agree that Workplace Representation Services shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such web sites or services.
We strongly advise you to read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of any third-party web sites or services that you visit.
Our cookies
Our website uses a number of cookies. These are small pieces of text sent to your web browser by a website you visit. A cookie file is stored in your web browser and allows the Service or a third-party to recognise you and make your next visit easier and the Service more useful to you.
Cookies can be “persistent” or “session” cookies. Persistent cookies remain on your personal computer or mobile device when you go offline, while session cookies are deleted as soon as you close your web browser.
Functional Cookies – Cloudflare
The following Cloudflare cookie may be activated whilst using our website:
- __cfduid (expires after 1 year)
This is used to identify individual users behind a shared IP address and apply security settings on a per-user basis.
Statistical Cookies – Google Analytics
The following Google Analytics cookies may be activated whilst using our website:
- _gat. Used to throttle request rate (expires after 1 minute)
- _gid. Used to distinguish users (expires after 24 hours)
- _ga. Used to distinguish users (expires after 2 years)
- _utma. Used to track dates and number of user’s visits (expires after 2 years)
- _utmb. Holds timestamp of when user first visits site (expires after 30 minutes)
- _utmc. Holds timestamp of when user leaves site (expires at end of session)
- _utmz. Tracks how user accessed website (search engine, link, keyword, location)
These cookies are used by us purely for the purpose of measuring how users interact with our website’s content. No individual can be identified by the data that is collected.
Google’s privacy policy can be accessed here.
Your choice regarding cookies
When first accessing our website, you will have been given the choice on whether or not you accept our cookies.
If you’d like to delete cookies or instruct your web browser to delete or refuse cookies, please visit the help pages of your web browser.
Please note, however, that if you delete cookies or refuse to accept them, you might not be able to use all of the features we offer, you may not be able to store your preferences, and some of our pages might not display properly.
- For the Chrome web browser, please visit this page from Google: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/32050
- For the Internet Explorer web browser, please visit this page from Microsoft: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/278835
- For the Firefox web browser, please visit this page from Mozilla: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/delete-cookies-remove-info-websites-stored
- For the Safari web browser, please visit this page from Apple: https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/manage-cookies-and-website-data-sfri11471/mac
- For any other web browser, please visit your web browser’s official web pages.
Details of cookies used on our site will be updated at least annually (last update 3rd January 2019).
If we change our privacy policy
We keep our policies under regular review so that they are complaint with latest regulatory and legislative requirements and reflect any changes in our requirements.
Any changes will be posted on this page so that at all times you can keep up to date on the data we collect and how we use it.
This privacy policy was last updated in January 2019.
How you can make a complaint
You have a right to complain at any time about data protection issues to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is the UK’s supervisory authority for data protection issues. Contact details can be found at www.ico.org.uk.
Nevertheless, we aim to at all times be focused on meeting your satisfaction and would therefore welcome the opportunity presented by you contacting us first, to see whether we can satisfactorily resolve any concerns you might have.
How you can contact us
You can contact us by email at [email protected], or telephone us on 0208 895 6921.