Please read this privacy policy in conjunction with our website terms and conditions and our cookie policy.

What does this privacy statement cover?
WEC Group recognises the importance of correct and lawful processing of personal data and is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.

As such, this privacy policy explains what type of personal data we collect, how and why we collect it, the conditions under which we may disclose it and the practices we have in place to keep it secure.

What type of information is collected from you?
Personal data collected via websites

As a visitor, you do not have to submit any personal information in order to use the Website. This Website and our Subsidiary Websites only collect personal information that is specifically and voluntarily provided by visitors.

The personal data we collect through our websites may include:

Your name
Job title
Company name
Telephone number
Email address
Postal address or location
IP addresses
We may store and maintain any content you provide, including information on the particular WEC Group subsidiaries or related companies, markets, products and services you are interested in.

In some cases we may also collect information about your visit to the Website or Subsidiary Websites which is not personally identifiable. This may include:

Device (mobile, desktop, tablet) and browser used
Your route to the Website or Websites
Your demographic profile
Behavioural indicators such as pages visited, time spent on the Website or Subsidiary Websites and links clicked.
We do not usually seek sensitive personal information from visitors to our website unless required for business purposes when we would obtain your explicit consent to collect and process such information.

Sensitive information includes data relating to:

Race or ethnic origin
Religious beliefs
Criminal record
Physical or mental health
Sexual orientation
Personal data not collected via websites

WEC Group also processes personal data not collected via websites for the purposes of business execution and in order to comply with legal and regulatory obligations, in relation to employees, shareholders, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Information we may collect offline includes:

Private contact information if necessary or voluntarily provided (such as name, postal or e-mail address, and phone number)
Business contact and other information (such as job title, department, name of organisation and any dealings with the Group)

How do we collect information from you?
Information you may supply us online:

WEC Group obtains information about you when you voluntarily submit personal data through the Website or Subsidiary Websites by completing forms to request information from us (enquiring about products and services for example), to submit a rating or review, participating in surveys, registering or applying for job vacancies or career opportunities, or signing up for communications such as company newsletters and literature.

Information collected by cookies:

Our Website and Subsidiary Websites use cookies to enable the Group to understand how effective our content is and to improve your experience. For detailed information on the cookies we use, the purposes for which we use them and how you may block them, please see our full cookies policy.

Other information you may supply us:

WEC Group also processes, and may record, personal data collected if you contact us in writing, by email, telephone or other electronic means.

How is your information used?
When you submit personal data through the Website or Subsidiary Websites the information you provide will be used to manage your request and to improve the Website or Subsidiary Websites.

We may also use your personal information for marketing purposes, to send you promotional materials or communications regarding services provided by the Group that we feel is relevant and may be of interest to you.

The Group may use your information to:

Respond to an enquiry you have submitted
Process an order you have submitted
Carry out our contractual obligations
Inform you of other products or services offered by the Group
Notify you of Group news
Seek your feedback on the services we provide
Notify you of vacancies / placement opportunities
Improve your website experience

Lawful basis for processing your data:
WEC Group will only use your personal data when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your personal data in the following circumstances:

WEC Group would like to keep in touch with you to let you know about the latest news from around the Group and provide you with updates on relevant products and services for marketing purposes; to communicate with stakeholders, potential and existing customers and others who expressly choose to submit their personal data through our Website or Subsidiary Websites. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

Where it is necessary for the purposes of performing an existing contract to which you are a party or to take steps at your request before entering into such a contract

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 make sure we consider and balance any potential impact on you and your rights before we process your personal data for our legitimate interests. This may include activity for legitimate business purposes and for developing customer relationships, such as:
Contacting you as a potential or existing customer for the purposes of selling goods or services
To provide useful, informative and relevant information to you about our services and to grow our business
To enable us to enhance, modify, personalise or otherwise improve our communications for the benefit of our customers and stakeholders
Where we need to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation that we are subject to

Job applicants, current and former WEC Group employees
The WEC Group is the data controller for the information you provide during the recruitment process unless otherwise stated. If you have any queries about the process or how we handle your information please contact us at hr@wecl.co.uk

What will we do with the information you provide to us?
All of the information you provide during the recruitment process will only be used for the purpose of progressing your application, or to fulfil legal or regulatory requirements if necessary.

We will not share any of the information you provide during the recruitment process with any third parties for marketing purposes or store any of your information outside of the European Economic Area. The information you provide will be held securely by us and/or our data processors whether the information is in electronic or physical format.

We will use the contact details you provide to us to contact you to progress your application. We will use the other information you provide to assess your suitability for the role you have applied for.

What information do we ask for, and why?
We do not collect more information than we need to fulfil our stated purposes and will not retain it for longer than is necessary.

The information we ask for is used to assess your suitability for employment. You don’t have to provide what we ask for but it might affect your application if you don’t.

Application stage
If you use our online application system, this will be collected by a data processor on our behalf.

We ask you for your personal details including name and contact details. We will also ask you about your previous experience, education, referees and for answers to questions relevant to the role you have applied for. Our recruitment team will have access to all of this information.

You will also be asked to provide equal opportunities information. This is not mandatory information – if you don’t provide it, it will not affect your application. This information will not be made available to any staff outside of our recruitment team, including hiring managers, in a way which can identify you. Any information you do provide, will be used only to produce and monitor equal opportunities statistics.

Shortlisting
Our hiring manager’s shortlist applications for interview. They may be provided with your contact details which you have provided throughout the application stage.

Assessments/ Interview
We might ask you to participate in assessment days; complete tests or occupational personality profile questionnaires; and/or to attend an interview – or a combination of these. Information will be generated by you and by us. For example, you might complete a written test or we might take interview notes. This information is held by the WEC Group recruitment team.

Conditional offer
If we make a conditional offer of employment we will ask you for information so that we can carry out pre-employment checks. You must successfully complete pre-employment checks to progress to a final offer. We are required to confirm the identity of our staff, their right to work in the United Kingdom and seek assurance as to their trustworthiness, integrity and reliability.

You will therefore be required to provide:
Proof of your identity – you will be asked to attend our office with original documents, we will take copies.
Proof of your qualifications – you will be asked to attend our office with original documents, we will take copies.
You will be asked to complete a criminal records declaration to declare any unspent convictions.
We will contact your referees, using the details you provide in your application, directly to obtain references
We will also ask you to complete a questionnaire about your health. This is to establish your fitness to work.
If we make a final offer, we will also ask you for the following:
Bank details – to process salary payments
Emergency contact details – so we know who to contact in case you have an emergency at work
Post start date
Our Code of Conduct requires all staff to declare if they have any potential conflicts of interest, if they are active within a political party or the TA. If you complete a declaration, the information will be held on your personnel file.

Any work related photos taken throughout your employment will be used for legitimate business reasons and will become WEC Group’s intellectual property.

Applying via a job board
If you apply for a WEC Group job via an online job board you will be taken to our resourcing partner’s website. They will hold the information you submit but the WEC Group will have access to it.

Here is a link to their privacy policy: http://www.360resourcing.co.uk/privacy-policy/

TMS, SAGE, HR database
If you accept a final offer from us, some of your personnel records will be held on TMS, sage and the HR Database which are internally used HR and payroll record systems.

Recruitment Agencies
For some vacancies, we sometimes advertise through Recruitment agencies. These agencies will collect the application information and might ask you to complete a work preference questionnaire which is used to assess your suitability for the role you have applied for, the results of which are assessed by recruiters. Information collected by the Recruitment Agencies will be retained by them.

Please contact the Recruitment Agency you have applied to for their privacy policy or contact the WEC Group recruitment team by emailing hr@wecl.co.uk

How long is the information retained for?
If you are successful, the information you provide during the application process will be retained by us as part of your employee file. This includes your criminal records declaration, fitness to work, records of any security checks and references.

If you are unsuccessful at any stage of the process, the information you have provided until that point will be retained for 12 months from the closure of the campaign. Information generated throughout the assessment process, for example interview notes, is retained by us for 12 months following the closure of the campaign.

Equal opportunities information is retained for 12 months following the closure of the campaign whether you are successful or not.

How we make decisions about recruitment?
Final recruitment decisions are made by hiring managers and members of our recruitment team. All of the information gathered during the application process is taken into account.

You are able to ask about decisions made about your application by speaking to your contact within our recruitment team or by emailing hr@wecl.co.uk

Subject Access Request
The right of access, commonly referred to as subject access, gives you the right to obtain a copy of your personal data as well as other supplementary information.

You have the right to obtain the following:

Confirmation that WEC Group are processing your personal data;
A copy of your personal data; and Other supplementary information
Right of access, correction, erasure and restriction
Your duty to inform us of changes
It is important that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal information changes during your working relationship with us.

Your rights in connection with personal information
Under certain circumstances, by law you have the right to:

Request access to your personal information
Request correction of the personal information that we hold about you
Request erasure of your personal information
Object to processing of your personal information where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground
Request the restriction of processing of your personal information
Request the transfer of your personal information to another party
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 the Company in writing to our Head Office: WEC Group, Junction Street, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 2RB or email hr@wecl.co.uk

Third-party links
The WEC Group Website and our Subsidiary Websites may include links to third-party websites, plug-ins and applications. Clicking on those connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. Please note WEC Group does not control third-party websites and is not responsible for their privacy statements. When you leave our Website or Subsidiary Websites, we encourage you to read the privacy notice of every website you visit.

Contact us
If you have any questions or concerns about this policy and our privacy practices please contact us in writing: Data Protection Officer, WEC Group, Junction Street, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 2RB United Kingdom or by telephone on +44 1254 773718 and asking to speak to our Data Protection Officer.

Employees
This privacy statement relates to the processing of third party information only. If you are a Group employee or agency staff seeking information on data privacy please refer to the General Data Protection Policy held on the Group intranet.