Diversified Staffing Services (DSS) operates as a part of PEO Canada Ltd. (PEO), and as such, is subject to PEO’s Privacy Policy.

Click here to view PEO Canada Ltd.’s full Privacy Policy.

Your privacy is important to us, as is your confidence in partnering with Diversified Staffing Services for staffing and recruitment services. We have developed policies and procedures to protect the personal and confidential information of all parties interacting with our services.

This external policy addresses our candidates, employees, and clients – collectively known as our Customers. The very nature of our business means that DSS requires the collection, use, storage, and disclosure of a vast amount of both personal and confidential information (private information).

• Personal information is any data that allows for identification or contact of an individual, whether recorded or not, factual or subjective.
• Confidential information is any data that allows for identification of, or in relation to, a business, whether recorded or not, factual or subjective.

The Privacy Policy, as outlined below, explains the management of your private information in relation to the agreed upon services between DSS and our Customers. DSS’s Privacy Policy and practices are directly related to the requested services and direction provided to DSS by our Customers.

In addition to this policy, we have internal processes, technology, and controls in place to ensure your information is collected, used, and retained in accordance with the purposes as stated below. We diligently review and research changing legislative requirements, as well as trends in cyber security. In order to remain compliant, this policy and our internal safeguards may be updated periodically without notice. The policy will contain an Effective Date which will serve to also indicate the most recent reviewed date. Changes will be effective on dates determined by Diversified Staffing Services and you may not rely on policies that have been superseded.

Decisions on DSS’s protocols and policies regarding the collection, use, storage, disclosure, retention, and disposal of data are shared by the Management Team and the Privacy Officer. The Privacy Officer is also responsible for addressing any complaints or concerns regarding privacy issues.

Please note that this policy does not apply to the practices of companies which are not owned or controlled by DSS.

• 1. General information
• 2. What private information do we collect?
• 3. How do we collect private information?
• 4. Why do we collect private information?
• 5. How is private information used?
• 6. Who controls private information?
• 7. What is private information used for?
• 8. Where is it stored and how is it kept secure?
• 9. Who has access to or uses it?
• 10. Who is private information disclosed to?
• 11. When is it disposed of?
• 12. How do I access or correct my private information?
• 13. How do I make a complaint about private information?
• 14. What are the contact details for the Privacy Officer?

1. General information

Each of our divisions provides a unique service. Through these divisions, we provide staffing and recruitment services.

There are three main types of groups we deal with:

• Candidates: people actively looking for work.
• Employees: currently employed individuals that are pay rolled through DSS.
• Clients: businesses that require our services to supply them with staffing and / or recruitment needs.

2. What private information do we collect?

The very nature of our business means that we require a lot of personal information concerning individuals. Personal information is only collected in order to provide services through our divisions to our candidates, employees, and clients and not for any other means.

Only relevant information is collected to fulfill the needs and requirements to facilitate the services we offer.

The information collected for our Staffing Services includes:

Type of Information	Private Information Included
Resumes	Name, address, phone number, email address, education, skills, and previous work experience.
References	Specific information related to work experience, qualifications, character, skills, personality views, and opinions of and about an individual.
Background Checks & Pre-employment Testing	Name, address, phone number, date of birth, employment history, education history, credit history, driver’s license, photo identification.
Application Forms	Name, address, phone number, email address, skills (including test results), education, and previous work experience.
Payroll Information	Name, address, phone numbers, email addresses, employee identification numbers, federal and provincial tax claim information, signature, periods of employment, position, name of employer, Social Insurance Number (SIN), gender, birthdate, banking information, hours of work, overtime hours, wage and overtime rates, vacation, leave time granted, taxable benefits, deductions made (e.g., RSP contributions), nature of expenses/claims, and work-eligibility documentation such work permits or study permits, emergency contact information, year-to-date values, correspondence. Additional for Garnishees: documentation of garnishment, garnishee amounts/percentages, requirements, maximums, number of dependents.
Employee Handbook	Employee Handbook signed agreement page.
Occupational Health & Safety / Workers’ Compensation	Medical certificates, details of incidents/accidents in the workplace, relevant medical information, and modified duties provided. An Accident Report would require: name, address, SIN, personal health number, phone number, email address, birthdate, gender, position, hire date, employer name, employer contact details, accident date and time, accident summary of details, accident location, injury details, return to work details, modified duties provided, employment details (FT/PT, seasonal/temporary/permanent, start date, end date, volunteer/commission/sub-contractor/etc.), wage/salary, regular hours worked, name and contact detail of treating hospital or healthcare professional
Performance Measures	Evaluations, disciplinary letters/issues, termination letters, opinions and views of, or about, individuals.

 

The information collected for our Recruitment Services includes:

Type of Information	Private Information Included
Resumes	Name, address, phone number, email address, education, skills, and previous work experience.
References	Specific information related to work experience, qualifications, character, skills, personality views, and opinions of and about an individual.
Background Checks & Pre-employment Testing	Name, address, phone number, date of birth, employment history, education history, credit history, driver’s license, photo identification.
Application Forms	Name, address, phone number, email address, skills (including test results), education, and previous work experience.

 

For the purpose of providing our Clients with all agreed upon services, corporate information is required to be collected and held on file.

The information collected for our Client Accounts includes:

Type of Information	Private Information Included
Client Information	Business name, address, business contact details, contact names, personal information pertaining to contacts, order forms, surveys, correspondence, accounting information including credit checks, and applications.

3. How do we collect private information?

Private information is collected minimally, only as required in order to provide the services requested by our Customers. Your information is collected through fair and lawful means, and is subject to our privacy policies.

We may collect private information without consent or knowledge if it:

• Is in the interest of the individual and consent is not obtainable in a timely manner;
• Would compromise information availability or accuracy;
• Is reasonable to investigate contravention of laws; or
• Is publicly available and specified in the regulations.

Information is collected from a wide variety of sources, which includes:

• Resumes dropped off in person, received by fax, or emailed.
• References obtained through telephone conversations and written reference letters.
• Candidate application forms, payroll information, and benefits application forms received from candidates and employees by fax, email, and in person.
• Garnishee information is received from various organizations in writing, by mail, or fax.
• Workers’ Compensation correspondence received by mail or fax.
• Client information collected by our internal staff, via email or phone call volunteered by our clients in order to provide them with our agreed upon services.

4. Why do we collect private information?

The very nature of our business means that we require a lot of private information concerning individuals. Private information is only collected in order to provide services through our divisions to our candidates, employees, and clients and not for any other means.

Only relevant information is collected to fulfill the needs and requirements to facilitate the services we offer.

5. How is private information used?

Private information and references regarding candidates are added to our database and it is used to place candidates in positions at our client sites.

Other employee private information, such as SIN, date of birth, etc., is used in order to provide payroll and human resource services, such as recruitment, employee orientations, etc. to our employees.

Information regarding our clients is used only to provide the agreed upon services. We do not sell or share client information with any outside agency unless approval is granted by the client. Information is shared with an outside agency only if additional outsourcing services are required.

6. Who controls private information?

All internal staff are responsible for collection of data as required to perform their duties. It is also the responsibility of all internal staff to protect the privacy of all candidates, employees, and clients.

Decisions on the collection, use, disclosure, and retention of data are shared by the Management Team and the Privacy Officer. The Privacy Officer also deals with any complaints concerning privacy issues.

7. What is private information used for?

Private information is used only to provide services to our candidates, employees, and clients. Private information is never sold or passed on to outside organizations or individuals for purposes other than providing these services.

8. Where is private information stored and how is it kept secure?

In order to protect the privacy of our Customers, we have various levels of security in place: physical safeguards, administrative safeguards, technical safeguards, and operational safeguards. DSS follows industry best practices and our Information Technology division is diligent in ensuring our protection is fulsome. We regularly conduct audits of passwords, updates to legislative requirements, trends in cyber security, system tests, and access points.

DSS is committed to safeguarding your information; however, we cannot guarantee the security of information sent over the internet or information accessed on your personal devices. We recommend to all individuals that you do not disclose your identification or password information to anyone.

Copies of physical files are kept to a minimum and all information, where possible, are included or scanned into our database in order to maintain the most current and accurate information and to minimize paper documentation. Unless there is a specific need to keep paper copies on file, they will be shredded as soon as they have been processed and scanned into our system. All electronic information is held and processed in Canada, but outside of Quebec.

All staff are responsible for protecting private information using the security safeguards in a manner appropriate for the type of information.

9. Who has access to or uses it?

We limit access to private information in candidate, employee, and client files to:

• DSS staff or persons authorized by DSS who require it to perform their duties;
• Persons to whom candidates, employees, or clients have granted access; and
• Persons authorized by law.

Resumes may be shared externally with clients who are interviewing potential candidates.

10. Who is private information disclosed to?

DSS may disclose private information, as reasonably necessary for the purposes set out in this policy, or may disclose by direction of our Customers. In a case where a client requests individual information, it would only be released following the execution of a third-party release waiver.

DSS may release private information to a third party under the following circumstances:

• For the purpose for which the information was collected or compiled, or for a use consistent with that purpose (i.e., benefits plan enrollment and administration, RSP plan enrollment and administration, background checks, and pre-employment testing);
• Consent has been provided, in writing;
• Disclosure is necessary to comply with a federal or provincial law, including disclosure to governmental entities or agencies;
• For the purpose of complying with a subpoena, warrant, or order issues made by a court, person, or body having jurisdiction to complete the production of information or with a rule of court that relates to the production of information;
• Collecting a fine or debt owing by an individual to DSS or to the provincial or federal government;
• For the purpose of determining or verifying an individual’s suitability or eligibility for a program or benefit;
• To the Auditor General or any other prescribed person or body for audit purposes;
• To a member of the Legislative Assembly who has been requested by the individual the information is about to assist in resolving a problem;
• To a public body or a law enforcement agency in Canada to assist in an investigation undertaken with a view to a law enforcement proceeding, or from which a law enforcement proceeding is likely to result;
• So that the spouse, relative, or friend of an injured, ill, or deceased individual may be contacted;
• For research or statistical purposes required by legislation to an agency such as Statistics Canada;
• To the Director of Maintenance Enforcement for the purpose of enforcing a maintenance order under the Maintenance Enforcement Act, RSA 2000;
• To a relative of a deceased individual, if, in the opinion of DSS, the disclosure is not an unreasonable invasion of the deceased’s personal privacy; or
• If DSS believes, on reasonable grounds, that the disclosure will avert or minimize an imminent danger to the health or safety of any person.

11. When is it disposed of?

DSS retains private information for the period of a service contract, as legally required by law to fulfill service commitments, and/or per the schedule required by an insurer. Our Information Technology division is responsible for maintaining and enforcing regular deletion of outdated information.

Other payroll, garnishee, benefits, and employee information is kept on file for the period of time required by federal and provincial laws, such as:

• Income Tax Act,
• Employment Insurance Act,
• Canada Pension Plan, and
• Federal or provincial employment laws.

Customer information that is considered public domain and does not contain any private information may be kept on file for an indefinite period of time.

After being scanned into databases, physical documents are de-identified at the end of the retention stage through confidential shredding services. Electronic files (hard drives, storage, discs, and tapes) are destroyed by the Information Technology division to ensure proper deletion of data prior to the disposal of outdated discs.

12. How do I access or correct my private information?

To access a copy of your private information on file, or to correct your private information on file, please submit your request, in writing, to the Privacy Officer. The request must specify your name and at least two personal identifiers such as employee number, SIN, date of birth, etc., in order for DSS to verify, identity, and, locate the appropriate files.

Please address your correspondence to the Privacy Officer. A response will be provided within no more than 30 days, following the receipt of a request. Where possible, all information will be provided to persons requesting their information although some information may not be provided.

We may refuse access if:

• Doing so would reveal unauthorized information about a third party;
• Doing so would reveal confidential commercial information;
• Doing so would threaten the life or security of another;
• Information was generated in course of a formal dispute resolution process;
• Information is protected by solicitor-client privilege or the professional secrecy of advocates and notaries or by litigation privilege; or
• Information was created for the purpose of making a disclosure under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Actor in the course of an investigation into a disclosure under that Act.

Factual information will be changed where appropriate, but opinions noted on file cannot be changed.

13 How do I make a complaint about private information?

To submit a complaint, please contact the Privacy Officer, in writing. The submission must include your name, contact details, and the details of your specific complaint.

Please address your correspondence to our Privacy Officer. The Privacy Officer will investigate your complaint and respond within no more than 30 days, following the receipt of complaint.

14. What are the contact details for the Privacy Officer?

The Privacy Officer for DSS (in alignment with PEO Canada Ltd.) can be contacted by email via privacy officer@peocanada.com, or by mailed correspondence addressed to:

Privacy Officer
Diversified Staffing Services
#100 – 805 5 Ave. SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 0N6

 

Effective Date: June 25, 2024