Privacy Policy
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Introduction
Accu-Staff Resource Systems Ltd. is committed to maintaining the accuracy, confidentiality, security and privacy of customer personal information.
This Accu-Staff Resource Systems Ltd. Privacy Policy is a formal statement of principles and guidelines concerning the requirements for the protection of personal information that we collect, use and disclose with respect to our customers. This Policy not only informs individuals about their rights but also sets out Accu-Staff Resource Systems Ltd. privacy operations and goals to implement these rights.
Summary of Principles:
10 internationally accepted principles lie at the core of organizational responsibilities for safeguarding personal information. These are:
1. Accountability: An organization is responsible for personal information under its control and shall designate an individual or individuals who are accountable for the organizations compliance with privacy principles.
2. Identifying Purposes: The purposes for which personal information is collected shall be identified by the organization at or before the time the information is collected.
3. Consent: The knowledge and consent of the individual are required for the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information, except where inappropriate.
4. Limiting Collection: The collection of personal information shall be limited to that which is necessary for the purposes identified by the organization. Information shall be collected by fair and lawful means.
5. Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention: Personal information shall not be used or disclosed for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with the consent of the individual or as required by law. Personal information must be retained only as long as necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.
6. Accuracy: Personal information shall be as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used.
7. Safeguards: Personal information shall be protected by security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.
8. Openness: An organization shall make readily available to individuals specific information about its policies and practices relating to the management of personal information.
9. Individual Access: Upon request, an individual shall be informed of the existence, use, and disclosure of his or her personal information and shall be given access to that information. An individual shall be able to challenge the accuracy and completeness of the information and have it amended as appropriate.
10. Challenging Compliance: An individual shall be able to address a challenge concerning compliance with the above principles to the designated individual or individuals accountable for the organizations compliance.
Distinctions among Privacy, Security and Confidentiality:
Privacy relates to people, process and accountability. It gives individuals control over their personal information and allows them to grant permission to an organization for the collection, use, disclosure and retention of that information.
Security is the essential component for preventing the inadvertent release of personal information. Security also relates to the availability and integrity of personal information. Confidentiality addresses the disclosure of personal information.
Principle 1 – Accountability
Accu-Staff is accountable for all personal information in its possession or control and shall designate one or more persons who will be responsible for the companies’ Compliance with the following principles:
1.1 The Chief Executive Officer/President (CEO) of Accu-Staff has ultimate responsibility for the protection of personal information of customers. The CEO may delegate the day-to-day operational privacy responsibilities to another individual. All staff share responsibility for adhering to Accu-Staff’s privacy policies and procedures.
1.2 Accu-Staff has designated a Corporate Privacy Officer to oversee compliance with Accu-Staff’s policy and shall provide, upon request, the name and contact information of the Corporate Privacy Officer.
1.3 Accu-Staff is responsible for personal information in their possession or control, including any personal information that has been transferred to a third party for processing. Accu-Staff will use contractual or other means to provide a comparable level of protection of personal information while such information is being processed by a third party.
Principle 2 – Identifying Purposes
2.1 Accu-Staff shall specify, either orally, in writing or electronically, all identified purposes for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information to the customer at the time such personal information is collected.
2.2 Those responsible for collecting personal information should be able to explain to individuals the purposes for which the information is being collected. In certain circumstances, the customer may be referred to a designated person within Accu-Staff who can explain those purposes in greater detail.
2.3 Unless required by law, Accu-Staff shall not use or disclose, for any new purpose, personal information that has already been collected without first identifying and documenting the new purpose and obtaining the consent of the customer.
Principle 3 –Consent
The knowledge and consent of a customer are required for the collection, use or disclosure of personal information, except where inappropriate.
3.1 In certain circumstances, personal information may be collected, used or disclosed without the knowledge and consent of the individual. For example, some legal, medical or security reasons may make it impossible or impractical to seek consent.
Accu-Staff may collect, use or disclose personal information without an individual’s knowledge or consent only in limited circumstances as permitted by law.
Accu-Staff may use or disclose personal information without the individual’s knowledge or consent if it is clearly in the individual’s best interests to do so and consent cannot be sought in a timely manner. An example of such circumstances is in the case of an emergency where the life, health or security of an individual is threatened.
3.2 Generally, Accu-Staff shall seek an individual’s consent for use and disclosure of personal information before or when it collects, uses or discloses personal information. In certain circumstances, Accu-Staff may seek an individual’s consent to use and disclose personal information after it has been collected but before it is used or disclosed for a purpose not previously identified.
Principle 4 - Limiting Collection
Accu-Staff shall limit the amount and type of personal information it collects to that which is necessary for the purposes identified by the company. Accu-Staff shall collect personal information using procedures which are fair and lawful.
4.1 Accu-Staff shall collect only the amount and type of information needed for the purposes documented by Accu-Staff and identified to the individual.
4.2 The requirement that personal information be collected through fair and lawful means is intended to prevent Accu-Staff from collecting information by misleading or deceiving individuals about the purposes for which the information is being collected.
Principle 5 –Safeguards
Accu-Staff shall protect personal information with security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.
5.1 Accu-Staff shall protect personal information from loss or theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, modification or destruction through appropriate security measures. Accu-Staff shall protect all personal information regardless of the format in which it is held.
5.2 The nature of the safeguards will vary depending on the sensitivity of the information, amount, distribution, format and the method of storage of the personal information. Accu-Staff will give the highest level of protection to the most sensitive personal information.
5.3 The methods of protection should include: § Physical security, such as locked filing cabinets and restricted access to offices;
§ Organizational security, such as security clearances and limiting access on a “need to know” basis; and
§ Technological security, such as, the use of passwords and encryption.
5.4 Accu-Staff will make all of its employees aware of the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of personal information.
Principle 6 – Openness
Accu-Staff shall make readily available to customers specific information about its policies and practices relating to the management of personal information.
6.1 Accu-Staff will be open about the policies and practices used to manage personal information. Individuals will have access to information about these policies and procedures. This information will be available in a format that is easy to understand.
6.2 Accu-Staff shall make the following information about its privacy policies and practices available:
§ the name, title and address of the Corporate Privacy Officer (or persons) accountable for Accu-Staff’s privacy policies and practices and to whom inquiries or complaints can be forwarded;
§ how to gain access to personal information held by Accu-Staff;
§ a description of the type of personal information held by Accu-Staff including a general account of its use; and
§ a copy of any brochure or other information that explains Accu-Staff’s privacy policies, standards or codes.
6.3 Accu-Staff may make information on its privacy policies and practices available in a variety of ways, including brochures at its place of business, online access, a mailing to customers or through a toll free telephone number.
Principle 7 – Individual Access
Upon request, an individual shall be informed of the existence, use, disclosure of his or her personal information In Accu-Staff’s possession and shall be given access to that information. This request process may take up to 30 days and may be subjected to a fee.
An employee shall be able to challenge the accuracy and completeness of the information and have it amended where necessary.
In certain situations, Accu-Staff may not be able to provide access to all the personal information it holds about an individual. However, such exceptions to the access requirement is limited and specific. Exceptions may include information that is prohibitively expensive to provide, information that contains references to other individuals and information that cannot be disclosed for legal, security or commercial proprietary reasons.
7.1 Upon request, Accu-Staff shall inform an individual of the personal information that Accu-Staff has in its possession or control about that individual.
7.2 Upon request, Accu-Staff shall provide an account of the use and disclosure of such personal information and, where reasonable and possible, shall state the source of the information.
7.3 In order to safeguard personal information, a customer may be required to provide sufficient information to properly identify themselves to assure Accu-Staff that they are providing information with respect to the existence, use and disclosure of personal information and authorizing access to an individual’s file to the right individual. Any information provided for identification purposes shall only be used for such purpose.
7.4 Accu-Staff shall promptly correct or complete any personal information found to be inaccurate or incomplete. Any unresolved differences as to accuracy or completeness shall be noted in the individual’s file. Where appropriate, Accu-Staff may disclose or share with third parties who have access to such personal information any amended information and identify the existence of any unresolved differences.
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