Privacy notice for job applicants

Introduction

This privacy notice explains how Pinnacle Pet Group (“we”) will use your personal information during the job application process. It sets out your rights under current data protection legislation.

When we process your personal information, we do so under UK and EU data protection laws, and we are responsible as ‘controller’ of that personal information for the purposes of those laws.

Who is the Data Controller?

Pinnacle Pet Group is a group of companies providing pet insurance, services and products across the UK and comprises Pinnacle Insurance Management Services Plc, Animal Friends Insurance Services Ltd, Pet Protect Ltd and VioVet Ltd.

Why do we collect and use your personal information?

We use your personal information to assess your suitability and contact you in relation to job roles and make any reasonable adjustments necessary during the recruitment process. Our processing of your personal information allows us to decide whether to enter an employment contract with you.

What personal information do we collect and process and what legal basis do we apply for this processing?

Where it is in our legitimate interest during the recruitment process as follows:-

  • When you apply for a job with a PPG Company we will collect personal data you provide in support of your application so we can assess if you are suitable for the job, role, or position and if we want to invite you for an interview.
  • If we undertake a talent search we may engage with specialist recruitment agencies and access job board websites, such as LinkedIn and Indeed, to identify suitable candidates and approach them about available roles.
  • If we invite you for an interview we may ask you to complete aptitude, cognitive and/or behavioural assessments prior to the interview as part of the application process.
  • If we perform pre-employment screening on integrity and capability to ensure we hire personnel who are trustworthy and have no criminal history. Our screening procedures apply to all successful applicants to whom we make an offer and a positive screening result is mandatory for working at a PPG Company.
  • If you visit our offices we will share your name with relevant front office/security staff so that car parking (where applicable) and entry to the office can be arranged for your visit. CCTV is in operation across our premises and your images may be captured on your visit.
  • If you make a complaint or submit a data subject rights request we will use your personal data to administer your complaint or request.
  • When we undertake systems monitoring and data loss prevention programs we may indirectly process your personal data.

Where we are legally obligated to undertake the processing:

  • If your application is successful and you are offered a position we will validate your identity and the validity of your application by seeking references from your previous employers. For relevant positions (e.g., senior managers and members of the board), we will undertake checks and further screening in accordance with the requirements of our local regulators, such as a credit and criminal history check. We will also process identity documentation to verify your right to work status.
  • To make any accessibility adjustments if you have a disability to ensure our recruitment process is equitable and in compliance with the Equality Act.

Where the processing is necessary to enter (or take steps to enter) into a contract with you:

  • To enter an employment contract with you we will need further personal data, such as your bank account details and tax documentation so we can pay you your salary and any expenses. We may also need further personal data for provision of package benefits (where they apply), such as health insurance, life insurance, and/or car allowance. This personal data collection is explained more fully in our employee privacy notice.
  • To communicate with you throughout the recruitment process we will process your personal data, such as contact information, each time we communicate with you about the status of your application.

Where you give consent for the processing:

  • If you visit our website we operate cookies on our website which help us to understand how visitors navigate through the site so that we can make improvements to the design. Each website domain will ask for your consent to operate these types of cookies. You can read more about cookies and the data they collect in our cookie statement.
  • If you agree to receive notifications of other positions advertised on our jobs website portal.

For reasons of substantial public interest:

  • When we undertake equal opportunity monitoring we may request data relating to your racial & ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religious or similar beliefs, gender identity and disability information. We take steps to anonymise this data collection wherever possible so that it is no longer personal data identifiably linked to you.

The personal information we collect and use:

We may collect and use the following information during the application and interview process:

  • Your name and contact details (including your address, home and mobile phone numbers and personal email address);
  • Details contained in your curriculum vitae, qualifications and employment history;
  • Your racial or ethnic origin, sexual orientation and religious or similar beliefs where you choose to provide these, to monitor our employment practices for equality and diversity purposes. This information will not be used to assess your job application and will be retained after initial processing in anonymised form;
  • Details about disabilities to the extent that it is necessary to provide reasonable adjustments during the assessment process. Information about your physical/mental health will be used for these purposes;
  • Any further details you choose to provide through the interview process.

Where do we collect the information from?

Most of the data is collected directly from you, from your application and during the recruitment process otherwise we may collect data from:

  • Employment agencies (where applicable);
  • Employment screening agencies;
  • Applicable Regulators (relevant to senior positions); and
  • Former employers or referees that you provide to us.

Who do we share your personal information with?

Our talent acquisition team works across the PPG group and your personal information will be shared within the group so that we can administer the recruitment process.

Outside of the PPG group we will share your personal information with:

  • Specialist suppliers who provide services to us such as Hireful Limited, who provide our recruitment management system.
  • your employment agency (where applicable);
  • with law enforcement or other authorities if required by applicable law.

Any specialist supplier that we employ is checked to ensure they are reliable, and we only engage them where they enter into a proper contract with us and implement appropriate security and other measures to guarantee that your personal data remains confidential.

Will my personal data be transferred outside the UK or EEA?

If we transfer your data to a third party located in a country outside the UK or EEA that provides a lower level of protection for personal data, we take extra measures to protect your data.

We will apply additional safeguards so that your data is protected to the same level as the data protection and privacy laws in the UK. This includes undertaking transfer impact and risk assessments, implementing contractual measures approved by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office and implementing other extra security measures where needed.

These obligations are placed on specialist suppliers that we employ such as Hireful Ltd who may transfer your data to suppliers based in the USA and India.

Keeping your personal information secure

We take appropriate measures to ensure that all personal data is kept secure including security measures to prevent personal data from being accidentally lost or used or accessed in an unauthorised way. We limit access to your personal data to those who have a genuine business need to know it. Those processing your information will do so only in an authorised manner and are subject to a duty of confidentiality.

How long is my personal data retained?

We keep your information for no longer than is necessary for to comply with our legal obligations or defend against legal claims. Typically, we hold data for unsuccessful applicants for no longer than 12 months after the position is filled. For successful applicants, some data collected during the recruitment process will be transferred to your HR record and will be retained in accordance with our Employee Privacy Notice.

What rights do I have in relation to my personal data?

Under data protection laws, you have a number of rights. For details of how to exercise these rights, and who to contact, please see our Contact Us section below.

who to contact, please see our Contact Us section below.

In summary, these include the right to:

  • Request to see any of your personal data that we hold (Known as a Data Subject Access Request DSAR or SAR)
  • Request that we correct incomplete or inaccurate personal information that we hold about you
  • Request we delete or remove your personal information – if there is not an overriding reason we need to keep it
  • Request we restrict the processing of your personal information, if for example you want us to establish its accuracy or the reason for processing it
  • Object to processing of your personal information where your interest in stopping the processing overrides ours.
  • Object to automated processing or profiling to make decisions about me. At the present time AFI does not use automated processing or profiling to make employment decisions about you

If you have a Complaint

We hope that we can resolve any query or concern you raise about our use of your information. However, you also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office.

  • You can do this by email clicking on the following link https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/email/
  • Alternatively, you can write to the Information Commissioner’s Office at, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, Telephone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a national rate number.

The Group Data Protection Officer, Pinnacle Pet Group Animal Friends House, No. 1 The Crescent, Sun Rise Way Amesbury SP4 7QA Tel: 0344 557 0300 Email: Data.Protection@animalfriends.co.uk

  • let us have enough information to identify you.
  • provide proof of your identity and address (a copy of your driving licence or passport and a recent utility or credit card bill), and
  • let us know the information to which your request relates.

 

This privacy notice was last updated on 2nd September 2024