PRIVACY POLICY
Identity and Contact Details
Merit Engineering Resources Ltd (Merit) is a UK and international recruitment solutions provider to the technical engineering and project sectors (permanent & contractor hire) and is the data controller for the purpose of the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 and country specific data protection laws.
The Head office is based at 10a Witham Road, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN88HW
Tel:01695 720470
Data Protection Representative Contact Details
The Data Protection Representative at Merit can be contacted by sending an email to: gary@meriteng.com
Definitions
"Personal Data" shall mean any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person ('Data Subject'); an identifiable person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identification number or to other factors or reference points.
What Information Merit Collects
Merit collect Personal Data from:
• Candidates who register with Merit or contact Merit in relation to recruitment services or apply to vacancies advertised by Merit on Merit’s website or on external job boards
• Candidates who apply to work for Merit internally
• Employees
• Clients
• Suppliers
Purpose of Processing
Merit is a global technical recruitment solutions provider and Personal Data provided may be stored on Merit’s databases in order to perform services more efficiently, provide recruitment services and maintain Merit records.
If a candidate has requested assistance from Merit to find a role, a copy of your curriculum vitae/resume will be held on file to ensure candidates registered on Merit’s database are informed of relevant vacancies we are managing on behalf of our clients. Merit may pass your Personal Data onto clients for a vacancy application, with your consent. The methods used for maintaining communication can range from telephone, email, SMS or video conference, social media (eg. Whatsapp).
In the event a Candidate is placed on a contractor based assignment with a client, Merit are required to set up and manage your contract compliantly with global legislation and contractual requirements. We will request that you provide additional personal information and documents, some of which could be classed as sensitive data and all steps reasonably necessary will be taken to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Failure to provide such personal information on request could delay or prevent the commencement of your assignment.
We will not collect any personal data from you that is unnecessary or irrelevant.
Legitimate Interests
The nature of Merit business activities, requires the registration of candidate resumes and personal information in the creation of candidate records on Merit’s internal database. The purpose is to maintain contact and keep individuals updated with employment opportunities, company updates and provision of support services during an active assignment.
Other marketing methods are used such as email job alerts and targeted marketing campaigns. Should a candidate no longer wish to receive communications by way of post, SMS, phone and/or email, concerning the services provided by Merit, please contact the Data Protection Representative.
Merit also records client data, which includes contact details of client representatives, such as email addresses and phone numbers, to facilitate the delivery of Merit’s services.
For reference and information purposes, correspondence received from telephone conversations or emails are stored in our systems, in case it is needed to refer back to at a subsequent date.
Merit may also require details of a candidate's next of kin information as part of the emergency response procedure, in the rare event of an emergency.
Our Clients
The type of personal information that we typically collect and hold about clients is information that is reasonably necessary to help us manage the presentation and delivery of our services. This may include contact information, including names, titles, email addresses, business addresses, and telephone and fax numbers.
Referees
The type of personal information that we typically collect and hold about referees is information that is reasonably necessary to make determinations about the suitability of one of our candidates for particular jobs or types of work and may include:
(a) Contact information, including names, titles, email addresses, business addresses, and telephone and fax numbers; and
(b) Qualifications and job titles.
Who Merit share your personal data with
As part of our global operations, circumstances may arise where we share your personal data with authorised consultants acting on behalf of Merit.
We may also be required to share your personal data with third party service providers for the provision of insurance, facilitation of salary payments, visa agents and embassies, clients, background checking and screening agents, tax authorities, travel agencies, recruitment management software, administration support services for facilitating communications, surveys and CV processing
We take reasonable steps to ensure that the terms of service with our third party service providers recognise that we are bound by obligations to protect the privacy of your personal information.
Any Personal Data provided to us may be stored on our database and/or systems and transferred between any of the locations in which we operate, including those countries outside of the European Economic Area ("EEA). Countries outside of the EEA may not have data protection laws which are as stringent as those countries which form part of the EEA, however Merit has processes in place to ensure your information and privacy are protected when information is transferred to other countries.
International Data Transfers
For regulatory, statutory or contractual purposes, we may be required to share your personal data with other Merit entities, third parties or clients outside the European Economic Area.
Retention
The personal data which Merit collects is only retained for as long as it is needed. The criteria we use to determine the period can vary for each type of data, which depends on statutory or contractual obligations. Following expiry of this designated period, your personal data will be securely deleted.
Data Subject Rights
Merit is committed to facilitating your rights, where you are fully entitled to the following:
• Obtain or gain access to the personal data we hold about you on our records
• The rectification of your personal data which you believe is inaccurate
• The restriction of processing your personal data
• Object to processing of personal data, where processing is based on legitimate interests (unless Merit have compelling legitimate grounds for the processing) public interests and direct marketing purposes.
• Have your data erased from our records
• Have your data ported in electronic, machine readable format from Merit to yourself or another organisation
Please do not hesitate to contact our Data Protection Representative for assistance and we shall take action on a request without undue delay and in any event within one month of receipt. That period may be extended by two further months where necessary, taking into account the complexity and number of the requests.
Right to Withdraw Consent
We may request your consent for processing your personal data of a sensitive nature, which relate to racial or ethnic origin, biometric data or data concerning health. If your consent is given, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.
The Right to Lodge a Complaint
In the event you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are processing your Personal Data not in accordance with the law you can raise a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in addition to maintaining the right to complain to a supervisory authority.
Statutory and Contractual Requirements
To effectively set up and manage your contract, Merit have a necessity to take into account both statutory and contractual obligations.
Prior to assigning workers to our clients, it is required by law for Merit to verify an individual's identity and ensure they can legally work in the country of operation. This is done by inspecting documents such as; passports, visas, identification cards and driving licences and copies are taken and stored on our systems to demonstrate compliance with the relevant legislation.
For individuals undertaking overseas assignments, there is a need to comply with immigration laws and in order to facilitate a work permit or visa application or adhere to laws in a country of operation. On this basis, we can be required to request data relating to passport information including physical passports, photographs, medical or health status, vaccination records and criminal record checks.
Some clients may require a medical assessment or fit for work check completed by a medical practitioner and evidence of vaccination records, should their work sites be based in remote locations or a harsh environment.
To demonstrate professional competency, clients also may request evidence of educational or training records and next of kin information, in the event of an emergency.
To ensure we can make prompt payment of wages and salaries, we will request banking information, limited company documentation, national insurance or social security Numbers.
Merit are committed to providing high levels of services to candidates and it is necessary that the Personal Data you provide is sufficient, in order for us to manage your contract efficiently and enable Merit to fulfil our statutory and contractual obligations.
Further Processing
Merit will always endeavour to explain what personal data we require from you and the reasons it is requested. Should it be determined at a later date that we need to process your data for an additional purpose which you are not aware of at point of collection, we will ensure you are fully informed of our intentions and your rights as explained above will be fully applicable.