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At Real Employment Law Advice, we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.
This Policy explains when and why we collect and process personal information about those who enquire about our services (prospects) and clients of ours (employers and employees); how we use it; the conditions under which we may disclose it to others and how we keep it secure.
We may change this Policy from time to time so please check this periodically to ensure that you understand any changes. If you are an existing client, we will notify you of any major changes to the Policy.
Any questions regarding this Policy and our privacy practices should be sent by email to tony@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or by writing to Real Employment Law Advice, Unit B20 Whitecross Business Centre, Shanklin, Isle of Wight PO37 7EJ. Alternatively, you can telephone 01983 897003.
Real Employment Law Advice, a niche Employment Law practice providing the most user friendly legal advice about work issues in the UK. We use innovative technology and forward-thinking systems to provide clear, jargon free, timely advice about work related issues and best practice.
Real Employment Law Advice Limited is a company limited by guarantee (no. 10067540). The registered address is Unit B20 Whitecross Business Centre, Shanklin, Isle of Wight PO37 7EJ.
We will comply with data protection law. This says that the personal information we hold about you must be: 1. Used lawfully, fairly and in a transparent way. 2. Collected only for valid purposes that we have clearly explained to you and not used in any way that is incompatible with those purposes. 3. Relevant to the purposes we have told you about and limited only to those purposes. 4. Accurate and kept up to date. 5. Kept only as long as necessary for the purposes we have told you about. 6. Kept securely. |
Personal data, or personal information, means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where the identity has been removed (anonymous data). There are “special categories” of more sensitive personal data which require a higher level of protection. |
We will collect, store, and use the following categories of personal information about you, your business, your Employees, Workers, Directors, Trustees, Partners, Volunteer, Contractors and Self-Employed persons:
We may also collect, store and use the following “special categories” of more sensitive personal information:
We collect personal information either directly from you or from Employees, Workers, Directors, Trustees, Partners, Volunteer, Contractors and Self-Employed persons directly.
We may also collect information from your witnesses or contacts where directed by you.
We will collect additional personal information in the course of providing advice and assistance.
We will only use your personal information when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your personal information or the personal information of Employees, Workers, Directors, Trustees, Partners, Volunteers, Contractors and Self-Employed persons in the following circumstances: 1. Where we need to perform the contract, we have entered with you. 2. Where we need to comply with a legal obligation. 3. Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. We may also use your personal information in the following situations, which are likely to be rare: 1. Where we need to protect your interests (or someone else’s interests). 2. Where it is needed in the public interest. |
In most cases we will use the personal information listed above to provide you with advice and assistance, and or represent you in the Employment Tribunal and therefore the primary reason for using the information is to allow us to perform our contract with you.
We may also use your data to
Change of purpose
We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use your personal information for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.
Please note that we may process your personal information without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law.
“Special categories” of particularly sensitive personal information require higher levels of protection. We need to have further justification for collecting, storing and using this type of personal information. We may process special categories of personal information in the following circumstances: 1. In limited circumstances, with your explicit written consent. 2. Where we need to carry out our legal obligations and in line with our Data Protection Policy. 3. Where it is needed in the public interest, such as for equal opportunities monitoring and in line with our Data Protection Policy. 4. Where it is needed as part of your case or to provide advice and assistance about an employee, worker, self-employed person or other in your business or organisation. Less commonly, we may process this type of information where it is needed in relation to legal claims or where it is needed to protect your interests (or someone else’s interests) and you are not capable of giving your consent, or where you have already made the information public. |
You will not be subject to decisions that will have a significant impact on you based solely on automated decision-making, unless we have a lawful basis for doing so and we have notified you.
We do not envisage that any decisions will be taken about you using automated means, however we will notify you in writing if this position changes.
We will not share your data with third parties unless we have obtained your permission in advance or we are required to disclose or share information by law, because of a regulatory requirement or to our insurer. We require third parties to respect the security of your data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We may transfer your personal information outside the EU. If we do have to share your data, you can expect a similar degree of protection in respect of your personal information. |
We will share your personal information with third parties where required by law, where it is necessary to administer the working relationship with you or where we have another legitimate interest in doing so.
We may transfer your personal information to a third party as part of a sale of some or all our business and assets to any third party or as part of any business restructuring or reorganisation.
We currently use Google Apps for Business, which is a cloud-based storage provider, to store and process data. Google have taken updated their terms of service to ensure compliance with the GDPR. We may from time to time change our cloud storage provider, in which case we will require that the equivalent legal agreements are in place to protect the security of your personal data in accordance with the GDPR and our policies.
You can find the details from Google here: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/compliance/#
Xero
Alongside our “cloud” based platform if you are a client your data will also be stored in our accounting software Xero for accounting and invoicing purposes. You can find details of Xero’s privacy policy here: https://www.xero.com/uk/about/terms/privacy/ Again data on Xero may be transferred outside of the EU but as you will see Xero are committed to the principles of GDPR. If you would prefer us not to store your data using Xero please inform me and I will ensure it is removed and make alternative arrangements for invoicing.
Mailchimp
Where you have consented to us sending you legal and HR updates we will store your name and email address in Mailchimp an online automated mail system. You can find more details about Mailchimp’s policy here: https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/
alldayPA
We use a telephone answering overflow and out of hours service to take telephone calls on our behalf and to relay messages to our office. We currently use alldayPA which is the trading name for ADP Call Centres Limited who are a company registered in the UK. You can find more details about their privacy policy and GDPR compliance here: https://www.alldaypa.co.uk/privacy-policy/
Leap
We use a case management cloud-based system called Leap to manage your case and your documents. Because of the way in which Leap store date it means it may be transferred outside of the EU.
Real Employment Law Advice Ltd will only hold and process data in order to deal with your matter, to give effect to the contract between us, and to meet our own legal and regulatory obligations. Storage of your data
You can read Leap’s details about GDPR compliance here: https://www.leap.co.uk/information-security-policy/ For document security and confidentiality, we will use Leap to share documents with you rather than via email. You will be provided with a separate guide to the system shortly and how you can securely access documents.
Microsoft Storage
Electronic data and hard copy data which is scanned into our system may be stored via Microsoft using cloud-based software.
We also use Microsoft for our email service where data may also be stored and processed.
Because of the way in which Microsoft store data it means that it could be transferred outside of the EU. We have received terms of business and guidance from Microsoft and are assured that they are committed to complying with the requirements of GDPR. You can find the details from Microsoft here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/trust-center/privacy/gdpr-overview
We will always ensure that information and access is password protected and all software updated as required.
As part of the services offered to you, the information which you provide to us may be transferred to countries outside the European Union (“EU”). By way of example, this may happen if any of our servers are from time to time located in a country outside of the EU. These countries may not have similar data protection laws to the UK. If we transfer your information outside of the EU in this way, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate security measures are taken with the aim of ensuring that your privacy rights continue to be protected as outlined in this Policy.
Google cloud-based storage, Xero, Microsoft and Mailchimp could result in your data being stored outside of the EU.
If you object to the storage of your data using Google Cloud services, please notify Tony Wicks (tony@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk ) and we will be happy to store it on a local server or device.
If you use our services while you are outside the EU, your information may be transferred outside the EU in order to provide you with those services.
We have put in place measures to protect the security of your information. Details of these measures are available upon request from Tony Wicks (tony@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk ).
We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal information from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal information to those employees who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal information on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality. Details of these measures may be obtained from Tony Wicks.
We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected data security breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected breach where we are legally required to do so.
We will only retain data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.
In some circumstances we may anonymise your personal information so that it can no longer be associated with you, in which case we may use such information without further notice to you. Once you are no longer a client we will retain and securely destroy your personal information in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and our data retention policy.
We will review our retention periods for personal information on a regular basis. We are legally required to hold some types of information to fulfil our statutory obligations. We will hold your personal information on our systems for as long as is necessary for the relevant activity, or as long as is set out in any relevant contract you hold with us.
Upon the completion of your case, we will contact you to explain the closure of your file and also to ask for feedback on your experience. This enables us to understand your level of satisfaction so that we can improve the quality of service we offer, and to assess our performance.
We are required to retain documents for 7 years after the closure of your file. All paper documents are scanned, and these will be stored electronically on the cloud. Once we have scanned the file the documents will be destroyed.
If you purchase an online product from us, your card information is not held by us, it is collected by our third-party payment processors, PayPal, who specialise in the secure online capture and processing of credit/debit card transactions. For more information about PayPal’s policy you can find the details here: https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-prev
Our websites include the following:
www.realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk
www.realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk
www.realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk
Each website is owned and managed by Real Employment Law Advice Limited.
When you visit our websites, we may automatically collect the following information:
We use google apps for business and google analytics which gives us information about where the website traffic comes from to our websites.
Any information collected via the use of our websites is only accessible by employees of Real Employment Law Advice and our website service providers: Nosy Design.
It is important at all times to note that the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure.
We may disclose your personal information to analytics and search engine providers that assist us in the improvement and optimization of our Websites.
Cookies are small files which are stored on your computer when you browse the internet. They enable us to understand how our websites are being used and help us to improve the way our website works, ensuring the best content to you.
Our website requires the use of cookies to function correctly and provide convenient access to the best content.
We do not use the data from cookies for marketing purposes and do not allow advertising from third parties on our websites which the data from cookies can often be used for.
Although we do not have any intention of using the data from Cookies at this time it is possible that we could do so in the future. If this happens we will update this policy and our Cookies notice accordingly.
We are Solicitors which means that we are by no means ‘IT’ experts but it is our understanding that whilst most web browsers will automatically accept cookies you can change your settings to stop them.
We found some useful information on the www.gov.uk website which you may find helpful: https://www.gov.uk/help/cookies
Please email us and we would be happy to provide you with full details: cookiespolicy@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk
We may from time to time through our articles provide links to another web site directly from our site. Each individual organisation operates their own policy regarding the use and sale of personal information and the use of cookies. If you have a particular interest or concern regarding the way your personal information will be used, then you are advised to read the privacy statement on the relevant site.
We will try to provide you with links to high quality, reputable sites which we believe are of interest and relevant to you, but please note that such third-party sites are not under our control and we do not contribute to the content of the sites. When you click through to these sites you leave the area controlled by us. We cannot accept responsibility for any issues arising in connection with either the third party’s use of your data, the site content or the services offered to you by these other sites.
You have various rights in respect of your personal information under data protection law. At any time, you may request access to any information that we hold about you.
Under data protection laws you have a legal right to ask to see a copy of the personal information that we hold about you, known as a subject access request.
If you would like to make a subject access request, please contact us by email: tony@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or in writing to Unit B20 Whitecross Business Centre, Whitecross Lane, Shanklin Isle of Wight PO37 7EJ.
If you enquire about our services, we may ask for consent to provide you with factsheets relating to your issue. Depending on your preferences, our communications with you may include:
Email: We monitor whether email communications and whether they are undelivered. Should we be unable to send email to you we may cease sending email communication.
Calls: Calls made to us, and calls received from us, may be recorded for the purposes of monitoring of services provided by us.
Website: Visitors to our website may be tracked using analytics methods described in our website providers cookie policy.
If we provide you with advice over the telephone or by email we will retain details of our discussions and advice for up to 12 months. The reason for holding it for this period is in case you come back to us for advice in the future or if you have any queries or questions about the information or advice we have given you.
After 12 months all data will be destroyed securely.
When we enter into a contract for service with new clients, we will collect personal data about you and other people involved. We need this information to enter into a contract with you and to provide you with advice.
As a client if you provide us with personal data about any other individuals, this is kept strictly confidential. It is the responsibility of the client to ensure that personal data about others is accurate.
It is important that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and current whilst we are assisting you. Please keep us informed if your personal information changes during your working relationship with us.
Under certain circumstances, by law you have the right to:
If you want to review, verify, correct or request erasure of your personal information, object to the processing of your personal data, or request that we transfer a copy of your personal information to another party, please contact Tony Wicks in writing.
You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal information (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request for access is clearly unfounded or excessive. Alternatively, we may refuse to comply with the request in such circumstances.
We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access the information (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is another appropriate security measure to ensure that personal information is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it.
In the limited circumstances where you may have provided your consent to the collection, processing and transfer of your personal information for a specific purpose, you have the right to withdraw your consent for that specific processing at any time. To withdraw your consent, please contact Tony Wicks. Once we have received notification that you have withdrawn your consent, we will no longer process your information for the purpose or purposes you originally agreed to, unless we have another legitimate basis for doing so in law.
We have appointed a data protection officer (DPO) to oversee compliance with this privacy notice. If you have any questions about this privacy notice or how we handle your personal information, please contact the DPO You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues.
We reserve the right to update this privacy notice at any time, and we will provide you with a new privacy notice when we make any substantial updates. We may also notify you in other ways from time to time about the processing of your personal information.
We will not contact you for marketing purposes by post, email, phone or text message unless you have given your prior consent. You can change your marketing preferences at any time by contacting us by email: tony@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or by calling 01983 897003.
If you have a concern or complaint about our processing of personal data, please email us at: tony@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk, or write to us at: Real Employment Law Advice, Unit B20 Whitecross Business Centre, Shanklin Isle of Wight PO37 7EJ. Alternatively, you can telephone 01983 897003.
If you are not satisfied with our processing of personal data, how we have responded to your complaint about the processing of personal data, or you believe our processing of personal data is not in accordance with the law, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) by calling +44(0)303 123 1113, or visiting https://ico.org.uk/concerns/
The firms use of personal data and relevant policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure compliance. The firms use of personal data and relevant policy will be audited annually. This policy was last updated on 29th November 2023. When changes are made to this policy, we will publish the changed policy on our website.
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