Job Applicant Privacy Notice

This privacy notice covers the information practices of the ABPI, as well as group companies, referred to collectively in this document as the “ABPI”.

At the ABPI, we take the privacy of your personal data very seriously and we are committed to being transparent in how we protect and secure your personal data. We will only process your personal data in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and any other applicable law or regulation (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Data Protection Law”.

This notice applies to everyone applying for a job at the ABPI, whether you are applying for a permanent or temporary role.

All references in this Privacy Notice to “we” and “us” is a reference to the ABPI or an ABPI group company. Please be aware that this notice does not form part of any offer of employment and we may amend it at any time. If you are in the application process when any changes or updates are made to this notice, we will bring any such changes to your attention as soon as possible.

How Does the ABPI process the Information About You?

The ABPI processes your personal information to fulfil legal or contractual obligations for relying on different legal grounds for doing so, as further explained below:

  1. To comply with our legal obligations or exercise legal rights that we have. This may include:
  • checks for eligibility to work in the UK as required by immigration laws, such as passport and visa documentation;
  • formal identification documents relating to you such as a passport or driving licence, to verify your identity (including your date of birth);
  • driving licence documentation.
  1. To pursue our legitimate interests as an organisation and business, this may include:
  • your contact details such as your name, address, telephone number and personal email address which will be used to communicate with you in relation to the recruitment process;
  • Your CV, education history, employment records, professional qualifications and certifications in order for us to consider your suitability for the job that you are applying for;
  • Interview notes made by us during or following an interview with you in order to assess your suitability for the role that you have applied for;
  • Pay and benefit discussions with you to help determine whether a job offer may be made to you;
  • Voicemails, emails, correspondence and other communications created, stored or transmitted by you on or to our computer or communications equipment in order to progress your job application;
  • CCTV footage inside our office area for security reasons.

What information does ABPI collect?

We collect a range of information which may include, but is not limited to the following:

  • name, address and contact details, including email address and telephone number;
  • details of your qualifications, skills, experience and employment history;
  • information about your current level of remuneration, including benefit entitlements;
  • information in relation to your nationality and entitlement to work in the UK, references and other information included in a CV or cover letter as part of the application process;
  • details of whether or not you have a disability for which we need to make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process;
  • information about any unspent criminal records.

This information can be collected in a variety of ways including information contained in CVs, obtained from your passport or other identity documents, or provided through interviews or other types of assessment such as online tests and psychometrics.  We may also view publicly available information and you may provide this information directly to us.

The ABPI may also collect personal information about you from third parties, such as references supplied by former employers or any other named referees, information from recruitment agencies, employment background check providers and information from criminal records checks.  Please note that we will seek information from third parties only once a job offer has been made to you and will inform you that we are doing so.

Special Categories of Personal Data

Under Data Protection Law, there are certain categories of personal  information classified as “Special Category Personal information” and includes genetic personal information, biometric personal information, information about sex life or sexual orientation, race or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership and health.

The ABPI will process your Special Category Personal information on different legal grounds for doing so, as described below:

  • To enable us to perform our legal obligations in respect of employment, social security.

This may include:

  • Health information to assess and/or to comply with our obligations under the Equality Act 2010 (for example, a requirement to make reasonable adjustments to your working conditions);
  • For occupational health reasons or where we are assessing your working capability. This may include:
  • Information about your physical or mental health, or disability status to assess whether any reasonable adjustments are required for you during the recruitment process and, where you are successful in your role application, carrying out a medical assessment required for your role, pension and any insurance benefits;
  • To establish, defend or exercise legal claims in an employment tribunal or any other court of law.

Who has access to your personal data?

Your personal data may be shared internally for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This purpose includes members of the HR and recruitment team, interviewers involved in the recruitment process, managers in the business area with a vacancy, and other appropriate persons who may be involved in the recruitment process for the role that you are applying for.

All of the ABPI’s third party service providers are required to take the appropriate security measures to protect your personal data. The ABPI does not allow our third party service providers to use your personal information for their own purposes.

The ABPI may also share your personal information with other third parties including public and government bodies, in order to comply with the law, regulations or to fulfil with contractual obligations.

Please note that during the recruitment process the ABPI may obtain personal information from third party sources such as recruitment agencies, job boards and background check providers. Where ABPI receives such information from these third parties, it will only process it in accordance with law and with this Notice. In some cases, such third parties may act as a data controller and therefore, we advise you to read their privacy notice.

How does the ABPI protect personal data?

The ABPI have the proper internal policies and controls in place to guard against personal information loss, destruction, misuse and inappropriate disclosure of your information.  

Personal information Storage

Your personal information and Special Category personal information is stored in a variety of secure locations including electronically on our servers.

For how long does the ABPI keep your personal data?

If your application for employment is unsuccessful, the ABPI will hold your personal information on file for 6 (six) months after the conclusion of the relevant recruitment process.  If you ask the ABPI to keep your personal information on file for longer, we will hold your personal information on file for a further 6 (six) months for consideration for future employment opportunities.  At the end of that period, or once you withdraw your consent, your personal information is deleted from our databases.

If your application for employment is successful, all the information gathered during the recruitment process will be transferred to your personnel file and retained during your employment.  The periods for which your personal data will be held are detailed in the ABPI’s  Information Management Policy.

Your rights according to Data Protection Law

Your Legal Rights

You have the rights set out below under the provisions of protection law:

  • Access to Personal Information – You have a right to obtain access to the personal information that we hold about you;
  • Change Inaccurate Information – You have a right to ask us to correct inaccurate personal information and to update incomplete personal information;
  • Request to Delete Your Information – You have a right to request that we delete your personal information. Please note that if you request us to delete your information, this will affect our ability to administer our contract with you as a job applicant;
  • Request to Restrict the Processing of Your Information – You have a right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information. Please note that if you request us to delete your information, this will affect our ability to administer our contract with you as a job applicant;
  • Request Your Personal Information in a Portable Format – You may have the right to ask us to provide your personal information in a portable format;
  • Object to the Processing of your Personal Information – You have a right to object to the processing of your personal information unless we can demonstrate compelling and legitimate grounds for the processing. Please note that if you request us to delete your information, this will affect our ability to administer our contract with you as a job applicant;
  • Withdraw Consent – Where we rely on your permission to process your personal information, you have a right to withdraw your consent at any time. Please note that if you request us to delete your information, this will affect our ability to administer our contract with you as a job applicant;
  • To Complain - You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK regulatory authority responsible for Personal Data protection issues.

If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above or have any questions in relation to this Privacy Notice, please speak to ABPI’s Data Protection Officer through the email: dpo@abpi.org.uk

Please be informed that ABPI may need specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). ABPI may also need to contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request.

We will try to respond to your request within 1 (one) month.

What if you do not provide personal information?

You are under no statutory or contractual obligation to provide personal information during the recruitment process.  However, if you do not provide the required information, we may not be able to process your application properly or at all.

Automated decision-making

Recruitment processes are not based on automated decision-making.

Last modified: 20 September 2023

Last reviewed: 20 September 2023