1.    General Statement – Privacy Rights

Advocate Placement Limited (“APL”) is dedicated to protecting privacy rights by recognizing the importance of privacy and the sensitivity of personal information it receives.

It is our policy to abide by the obligations and duties imposed by the privacy legislation within each jurisdiction that APL operates, including those set out by The Personal Information Protection & Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”) that give everyone rights concerning the collection, use and disclosure of their personal information.  

2.    What is Personal Information?

APL provides staffing and recruitment services to a wide range of candidates and must collect personal information in order to provide these services. 

“Personal Information” refers to any information about an identifiable individual and includes their age, income, education, employment history, financial information, and home address. 

In the process of providing staffing and recruiting services, APL will collect different types of information, including:

1.      A candidate’s contact and identification information such as name, address, telephone number and email address;

2.      Information contained on a Candidate’s resume and academic transcripts, such as employment history, client/transaction history, and academic history;

3.      Information about remuneration, including previous salary, benefits and bonuses and any expected salary, benefits and bonuses;

4.      Information about previous job-search efforts, including all employers that you may have applied to on your own or through other recruitment firms, and any notes made by APL recruiters;

5.      Performance and socio-emotional information. 

Our Privacy Policy sets out how APL’s directors, officers, and employees will maintain the confidentiality and privacy of personal information.  APL has appointed a Privacy Officer to deal with any concerns an individual may have.

3.    Purpose for our Collection of Personal Information 

In providing staffing and recruiting services APL will collect, use, and disclose personal information concerning candidates, with candidates’ express authorization. APL will collect personal information from the candidates, public sources, or third parties. It is essential that APL be able to learn about each candidate before we can arrange an introduction with a prospective employer. We use personal information form and other data collected by our representatives from candidates’ resumes, documentation, the internet, and verbal means, as required.  We collect this information during the course of APL’s work with the candidates, to register candidates with APL, to provide candidates with information regarding employment opportunities and other requested information or services.  All employees of APL will collect necessary information by lawful and fair means. 

Candidates may use or register with the Website, at which time they may be asked to supply certain personal information. After a candidate’s successful registration with the Website, he or she will be able to update his or her personal information by registering again. 

4.   Use and Disclosure of Personal Information 

Upon candidate’s consent, your personal information will be accessed by our clients and other parties who may require access to such personal information to assist APL in maintaining our relationship with a candidate and help us in a candidate’s employment search.

APL may disclose to third parties on a confidential basis when the third party is an entity that we retain for the purpose of performing various business functions. 

Where required by law, APL may disclose personal information to government agencies or other parties. 

In the event that APL identifies a new purpose for the use of personal information received, the candidate's consent will be obtained to use the information for the new purpose identified, except as required by law. 

5.   Consent and Limiting Collection

APL only collects, uses or discloses a candidate’s personal information with his or her consent.  A candidate’s consent may be express or implied, and it may be provided verbally or in writing. A candidate may withdraw consent at any time, with reasonable notice, by contacting our Privacy Officer in writing. 

Employees will limit the collection of personal information to that information which is necessary to fulfill the purposes identified by APL to provide the staffing services. 

6.   Privacy  

APL has the utmost commitment to protecting your privacy. Rest assured that we are always discreet in our communications to and about candidates.

APL may, with the consent of the candidate, disclose a candidate’s personal information to various prospective employers by any means of verbal, written or electronic communication.  APL does not warrant the security of such means of communication. 

Due to the confidential nature of APL’s business, APL often will not disclose your identity to a perspective employer without your consent.  Similarly, we may not disclose to you the identity of the prospective employer(s) without the employer(s) consent.

7.    Retention 

APL will maintain personal information in its confidential database for an indefinite period, subject to your advising APL you wish to be removed from consideration of any further job opportunities, and hence from the confidential database.  APL will remove the file from the confidential database and filing cabinets.  If you no longer wishes to receive information from APL about job opportunities or new developments in the staffing business, APL will discontinue sending any further materials. Until that time, APL may contact you from time to time with potential employment opportunities.  In order to have personal information removed from the APL confidential database, please contact the Privacy Officer in writing. 

If a candidate accepts a position with APL, the candidate's personal information will be retained in accordance with the company's privacy procedures for employee records. 

If a candidate accepts a position with an APL client, the candidate’s personal information will be retained by APL in accordance with the company's privacy procedures and applicable legislation. 

8.   Accuracy 

Since a candidate’s personal information may be kept on APL’s confidential database for an indefinite period of time, APL will make reasonable efforts to maintain the currency and accuracy of that information wherever possible. However, this is subject to your providing APL with updated and accurate information in a timely fashion. 

9.   Safeguards 

APL has implemented physical, technical and procedural safeguards that are appropriate to maintaining the protection of personal information in compliance with the Privacy Policy. APL and all of its employees and representatives will take reasonable precautions to ensure that personal information is kept safe from loss, unauthorized access, copying or use, modification or unauthorized disclosure. 

Systems have also been setup to receive and respond to privacy complaints and inquiries. 

All employees and representatives of APL have received training regarding the company’s policies and procedures. All new employees and representatives will receive training regarding these policies during their orientation program when they join APL. 

APL will provide information to candidates, clients and the general public explaining APL's policy and procedures respecting personal information, and by publishing this Privacy Policy on the APL Website, at www.advocateplacement.com. 

10.  Inquiries 

APL is pleased to answer any questions an individual may have regarding the collection and maintenance of personal information.

Access to your personal information shall be provided within 15 days of receiving a written request addressed to the Privacy Officer, except as required by law. 

There may be times where applicable law or regulatory requirements require us to refuse a candidate access to portions or all of the personal information that APL has pertaining to him or her.  

You may, at any time, request that APL not consider you for any future employment positions and destroy or return your personal information by contacting the Privacy Officer in writing. 

11.  Links

The APL Website may include links to other Websites. Our Privacy Policy does not apply to these Websites, which we do not control, and which may have their own policies and practices. 

12.  Privacy Officer 

APL has appointed a Privacy Officer, who is responsible for and will oversee the care and control of personal information received by APL and compliance with the terms of the Privacy Policy. 

Individuals can challenge APL concerning compliance with the Privacy Policy and procedures with respect to the collection, use, disclosure, retention, access, or disposal of personal information by APL by addressing the individual's complaint in writing to the Privacy Officer. 

Individuals with questions regarding APL's policy and practices respecting the collection and maintenance of personal information can forward any questions in writing to the company's Privacy Officer at the address set out below.

Anita Lerek
Privacy Officer
1200 Bay Street, Suite 200
Toronto, ON
M5R 2A5
privacy@advocateplacement.com

13.  Revisions to the Policy

This Privacy Policy is subject to change without notice. Please visit our Website at www.advocateplacement.com to view our current version of the Privacy Policy. If you ever have any questions or concerns regarding your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer.