Privacy

Prospect is committed to protecting your privacy and complying with our obligations under the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.

Data Controller

In accordance with guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), Prospect is a “data controller” for the purposes of your personal data. This means that we determine the purpose and means of the processing of your personal data. It is possible that in some circumstances other professional advisers may be considered to be data controllers. This might include the union’s auditor or legal advisers. Prospect can be contacted as follows:

Prospect, New Prospect House, 8 Leake Street, London. SE1 7NN
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0300 600 1878

Data Protection Compliance Officer

Prospect's Data Protection Compliance Officer (DPCO) is Tracey Hunt who can be contacted at the address above. The DPCO is responsible (among other duties) for informing and advising the union of its obligations to comply with the GDPR and to be the first point of contact if you have any questions about data protection.

Privacy policy

When you become a Prospect member or use Prospect services, you trust us with your information. Our privacy policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it and what we do with it.

Prospect will only ever use data to try and provide the best possible service to members and users. We will never use or share your data without your permission. From time to time we may update this policy, or change the providers and partners that we work with. We encourage you to check our policy regularly if you would like to know about any updates. You can contact us at any time to ask how your data is used, or to change your data preferences.

This privacy policy explains:

• what information we collect and why we collect it

• how we use that information

• the choices we offer, including how to access and update information.

It is divided into five sections:

A: Overview of our approach to privacy, data use and your rights

B: Privacy for Prospect members

C: Privacy for non-members who engage with our services

D: Use of trusted partners

E: How to withdraw your consent or make a complaint

A: Overview of our approach to privacy and data use

Information we collect

Prospect collects information to provide better services to its members and prospective members.

We collect information in three main ways:

1. The information you give us. To become a Prospect member you need to provide us with a certain amount of personal information, including (but not limited to) your name, email address, telephone number, employer, salary information and payment details. If you’re not a member but you attend a Prospect event, get involved in a Prospect campaign, sign up to an email newsletter, submit a general enquiry or partially complete an application form, you may also provide us with personal information. We will clearly ask for your permission when we collect any personal data.

2. Information we get from your use of our services. We collect information about the services you use and how you use them, e.g. when you browse our website, open one of our emails or attend a training course.

3. Information we get from your employer. For some Prospect members, we receive information directly from your employer, such as your salary information. You will be informed of this when you sign up to become a Prospect member.

How we use the information we collect

We use this information to provide, maintain, protect and improve our services, to develop new services and to enhance your experience as a Prospect member or service user.

The way we use your data depends on how you are interacting with Prospect. Choose from the following options to read more about how we use your data:

• I am a Prospect member.
  

• I am not a Prospect member.

We will seek your explicit consent before processing your data for any purpose not outlined in this privacy policy.

Transparency and choice

Our commitment is to give you a choice about how your data is used wherever it is reasonable to do so, and to be transparent with you about how and why we are using your data. For example, you can:

• Review and control certain aspects of the information we collect when you use our website.

• Review and update certain data and contact preferences if you are a Prospect member.

If you choose not to give personal information

There is some information we must collect to meet our trade union obligations and provide you with the services and support that are part of your membership arrangement with us. For example, you cannot be a Prospect member if we are unable to collect and process a certain amount of your personal information as this may mean that we cannot provide you with a service under membership We will notify you if your choice not to give personal information to us would result in a delay or prevent us from meeting our trade union obligations.

Accessing and updating your personal information

We encourage you to regularly check that the information we hold about you is correct. If you are a Prospect member, you have the right to check the information we hold about you. If that information is wrong, please contact us so that we can update it quickly or delete it – unless we have to keep that information for legitimate business or legal purposes.

We aim to maintain our services in a manner that protects information from accidental or malicious destruction. Because of this, after you delete information from our services, we may not immediately delete residual copies from our active servers and may not remove information from our backup systems.

Information we share

We do not share personal information with companies, organisations and individuals outside of Prospect unless one of the following circumstances applies:

• With your consent

We will share personal information with companies, organisations or individuals outside Prospect when we have your explicit consent to do so. We require opt-in consent for the sharing of any sensitive personal information.

• For external processing

We provide personal information to our partners or other trusted businesses or persons to process it for us, based on our instructions and in compliance with our Privacy Policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures. You can see more about the trusted partners who process data for Prospect below. This may be updated from time to time.

• For legal reasons

We will share personal information with companies, organisations or individuals outside Prospect if we believe in good faith that access, use, preservation or disclosure of the information is reasonably necessary to meet any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request, enforce applicable Terms of Service, including investigation of potential violations, detect, prevent or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, protect against harm to the rights, property or safety of Prospect, our members or the public, as required or permitted by law.

We may share non-personally identifiable information publicly and with our partners – like government bodies, advertisers or connected sites. For example, we may publish statistical information to show trends or try to influence government policy for the benefit of our members.

Your rights as a data subject

These are your rights as the data subject at any point while we are in possession of or processing your personal data:

• Right of access – you can request a copy of the information we hold about you. Once we have received your request we will respond to you within 30 days.

• Right of rectification – you have a right to correct data that we hold about you that is inaccurate or incomplete.

• Right to erasure – in certain circumstances, you can ask for personal information we hold about you to be erased from our records. If you request this we will tell you if it is possible to delete the information or if we have a legal obligation to retain it.

• Restriction of processing – where certain conditions apply you can ask us to restrict the use of your personal information if it:

  • is not accurate

  • has been used unlawfully but you don’t want us to delete it

  • is not relevant anymore, but you want us to keep it for legal claims.

• Right to portability – you can get a copy of the data we hold about you in a format that can easily be re-used and ask us to transfer (where feasible) your personal information to another organisation.

• Right to object – you can object to certain types of processing such as direct marketing.

• Right to object to automated processing, including profiling – you also have the right not to be subject to the legal effects of automated processing or profiling.

• Right to judicial review - if you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are not processing your personal information in accordance with the law, you can complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).

• Right to be notified of data breach – you have the right to be notified of a data security breach concerning your personal data.

For more information about your data rights under the law:

• visit the Information Commissioners’ Office website

If at any time you wish to exercise your right to see the data held about you, wish to update or remove your details, or have any other queries, please contact

• our Data Protection Compliance Officer at [email protected]. Please note that we will need to verify your identity in relation to your request.

B: Privacy for Prospect members

This section of the privacy policy applies to individuals who have entered into a membership agreement with Prospect. The contents of this section include:

1. How the law protects you.

2. Standard data we collect from Prospect members.

3. Additional data we collect from Prospect members.

4. How Prospect communicates with you as a member.

5. How to find out what data Prospect holds about you as a member.

6. How to update your data.

7. Members’ equality data.

8. How to make a complaint about data or privacy.

How the law protects you

Your privacy is protected by law, which says we can use your personal information only if we have a proper reason to do so. The GDPR provides explicit protection for trade unions to operate their membership data in respect of trade union membership. These are the reasons why we may use your personal information:

• in the course of our legitimate trade union core activities

• when we are subject to a legal requirement e.g. ballots

• for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims

• for the purpose of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of an official authority

• for the purposes of preventive or occupational medicine e.g. to protect the work of trade union representatives

• when it is in our legitimate interests

• to fulfil a contract with you e.g. training and certification and to retain the register of qualifications

• when you consent to it.

Standard data we collect from Prospect members

When you join Prospect, we will ask you for the information contained in the table below. You can see in this table how we use the data, how long we keep it for, who has access to it, our reason for using it, whether it is shared with a business partner (and why) and whether it is optional.

Additional data we collect from Prospect members

In addition to the data you provide when you join Prospect, we may collect other information throughout your time as a member, depending on the services you engage with. We will always ask you for consent for any use of your data that is not required to provide the basic membership service. Examples of additional data we collect, and when we collect it, are outlined below. If you have any concern about the data we are collecting, and its purpose, please contact us.

How Prospect communicates with you as a member

Communicating with you as a member is an essential function of Prospect as a trade union. We need to communicate to carry out our purpose and objectives. Wherever possible, we aim to give you options about how we communicate with you and the ability to opt-out of unwanted communications. But there are some communications that are not optional if you choose to be a Prospect member. Examples of how and when we communicate with you are listed below:

If you have other questions or concerns about how Prospect is communicating with you as a member, please contact our communications team or our compliance officer for assistance.

How to find out what data Prospect holds

If you would like to know what data Prospect holds about you, you can contact our Data Protection Compliance Officer by:

• email: [email protected]

• phone: 0300 600 1878

How to update your data

If you would like to update membership data such as your contact details, employer or salary details you can:

• phone our member contact centre on 0300 600 1878 between 8:30am and 7pm Monday to Friday.

• email [email protected]

• log into the Prospect website to update your details online.

Members’ equality data

We ask members if they are willing to share equality data with us. This may include (but is not limited to) your gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or details of a disability. This information is optional, if you choose not to provide it, this will not affect your membership with Prospect.

Why we collect equality data

Equality in society and at work is one of our key values. Prospect campaigns at workplace, industry and government levels to achieve equality and improve equality-related practices. By providing us with equality information, you are helping us to develop and implement these campaigns.

How we use it

1. In a statistical way, to negotiate, campaign and influence at a workplace, industry or national level. Individuals are not identified or identifiable.

2. For communication purposes, for example, to survey a particular equality group.

3. To assess the diversity of our membership. Prospect’s goal is to have a membership that is at least as diverse as UK society.

How do I know if Prospect holds my equality data?

If you are unsure if Prospect holds any of your equality data, please contact our Member Contact Centre by phone or email. You can ask us to delete any equality data we hold at any time.

How can I provide Prospect with my equality data?

If you would like to provide Prospect with your equality data to help us campaign for a more equal society, please log in to your account to update your information, or phone our Member Contact Centre on 0300 600 1878.

C: Privacy for non-members who engage with our services

When you engage with Prospect, we may collect data from you even if you are not a Prospect member or staff member. Information about this data is shown in the table below, based on how you have chosen to engage with Prospect:

D: Use of trusted partners

Prospect uses a number of trusted partners to help us provide an effective service to members and potential members. Examples of these partners and how we use them are shown below.

Legal services – to provide you with effective legal support, Prospect may need to share your data with our legal partners (we work with several firms of reputable solicitors and barristers as required). This is always done in a secure and confidential manner. If Prospect takes a case on your behalf to the employment tribunal or an alternative court, we are likely to need to share your data with bodies that include the court, lawyers, ACAS, and/or other specialists as required.

Member benefits – to offer you a range of member benefits, discounts and services, Prospect may need to provide the relevant company with your information, or confirm you are a member. This will only be done after you have initiated contact or expressed interest in that company or service and provided us with your consent.

Software and systems – to process, manage and maintain your membership, Prospect uses a number of software systems, including (but not limited to) a membership database, case management database, a website database,  contact management system, security systems, and various backup storage technologies. To maintain these systems and ensure their security, technicians and specialists from the companies that provide them may have access to your data while undertaking their duties. All this work is carried out under strict security protocols.

Financial – for Prospect to collect your subscriptions and manage financial transactions (such as direct debits) we are required to share relevant data with financial institutions, for example, the bank that collects your direct debit. These activities are undertaken with the strictest financial security, and only a limited number of Prospect staff have access to your financial details.

Mailing and print – to send you information, ballots and relevant Prospect publications  (in line with your communication preferences) Prospect has to share your name and mailing details with the print and mailing houses that distribute these items. This processing of your data is handled within strict security guidelines.

Training and education – when you undertake training courses with Prospect, we may be required to share some of your personal data. For example, with an external training provider, or with a hotel or venue for accommodation or dietary requirements.

Accommodation, travel and expenses – if you attend a Prospect event where we arrange accommodation, pay for travel, or pay your expenses, we may be required to share some of your data with trusted partners. For example, with a hotel to secure your accommodation, or with the bank to repay your outstanding expenses.

Elections and ballots – where Prospect has a legal obligation to hold ballots. For the purpose of undertaking statutory ballots, Prospect has to use a certified third party, for example, ‘Electoral Reform Services’ (ERS)  to run the ballot. Any partner we use is selected on the basis of their strict security and confidentiality.

Audits – Prospect is required by law to undertake a number of audits. During the course of these audits, we may be required to share specific member data, for example, if our financial auditors are checking member expenses. All of these processes are undertaken with the strictest security and confidentiality.

Survey technology – if you participate in a Prospect survey you will be using a third-party technology such as ‘Snap’ or ‘Survey Monkey’. We will always use the highest level of security available when undertaking these surveys, and collect only essential personal data.

Communication and campaigning technology – to communicate with you effectively, and to carry out our communication and campaigning work, Prospect uses tools such as email software and campaigning software. All software is selected and used within clear security protocols.

Document management – to function as an effective organisation Prospect needs to store, archive, save and shred documents which may contain your data. During this process, third parties may have access to, or provide services involved with, the handling of your data. All providers are selected and used within strict security protocols.

SMS communication – certain parts of Prospect communicate with members via SMS or electronic message technology. This is optional, and you should always have the choice to opt-out of receiving this communication. Third-party providers are used in this process, and are chosen and used within strict privacy guidelines. Your phone number is never shared without your consent.

Email – all emails entering and leaving the Prospect systems are scanned for viruses and spam by a third-party provider. Think is to ensure the security of Prospect emails.

Insurance – Prospect may from time to time be required to provide our insurance company with member details in the event of an issue or claim.

For more information about any of our trusted partners and how they may process your data, or how we safeguard the security of your data, please contact our GDPR Compliance officer.

E: How to withdraw your consent or make a complaint

How to withdraw your consent to our privacy policy

If you want to withdraw your consent for a specific aspect of your data processing and are unsure how to do it, please contact our Data Protection Compliance Officer

If you want to withdraw all consent to this policy and you are currently a Prospect member, you will need to resign from membership. If you would like to understand more about this or ask any further questions, please contact our Data Protection Compliance Officer

How to make a complaint

If you have any questions or concerns about the information in this policy, please contact us to see if we can resolve your concerns. However, if you wish to make a complaint about Prospect’s collection or use of data, you can do so via email direct to the Data Protection Compliance Officer.

Other questions, concerns or suggestions

Prospect is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals, and continuously improving the way we handle data. If you have a question, concern or suggestion about our data use or privacy policy, please contact us.

It is intended that this policy is fully compliant with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the GDPR. If any conflict arises between those laws and this policy, the Union intends to comply with the 2018 Act and the GDPR