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Privacy Policy

Protecting the privacy and the confidentiality of Personal Information is a standard by which Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) conducts its business.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Protecting the privacy and the confidentiality of Personal Information is a standard by which Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) conducts its business. The collection, use and disclosure of Personal Information is fundamental to many of our project areas and day-to-day administrative activities. We strive to provide high quality services and deliverables with the utmost professionalism. This includes respecting privacy and treating all stakeholders fairly.

EHRC has established a Privacy Policy to define its practices and procedures concerning the collection, usage, and disclosure of Personal Information and identify the ways EHRC ensures compliance with the Protection of Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”).

EHRC reserves the right to amend its Privacy Policy from time to time without notice.

The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)

PIPEDA, the federal privacy act, took effect on January 1, 2004. The Act requires that all organizations that collect, use, or disclose personal information do so in a manner that recognizes the right of privacy of individuals. It sets out 10 principles for compliance:

  • Accountability,
  • Identifying Purposes,
  • Consent,
  • Limiting Collection,
  • Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention,
  • Accuracy,
  • Safeguards,
  • Openness,
  • Individual Access, and
  • Challenging Compliance.

EHRC has developed this privacy policy in response to those requirements.

What is Personal Information?

Personal Information includes any information about an identifiable individual, including but not limited to: name, address, gender, age, ID numbers, income, ethnic origin, registrant files, work experience, level of education, opinions, evaluations, comments, social status, or disciplinary actions, existence of a dispute and intentions (for example, to acquire goods or services, or to change jobs). An individual’s name need not be attached to the information in order for it to qualify as personal information. In relation to EHRC employee data the organization follows the relevant terms of the employment standards act as it applies to employee information.

Personal Information as defined in the Act does not include the name, title, business address, or business telephone number of an employee of an organization.

Why does EHRC collect and use personal information?

Electricity Human Resources Canada provides services and information to a wide range of individuals. In doing so, we may need to collect personal information for various reasons including:

  • understanding your needs;
  • conducting surveys and focus groups for research purposes;
  • to facilitate the delivery of services and information;
  • to maintain your contact information;
  • to provide information about our services and information;
  • to engage interested parties in policy/program development.

The nature and precise use of your personal information will be outlined at the time of information collection. At no time will your information be released to any outside agency or organization (unless such an organization has been contracted to perform EHRC-related work and agrees to be bound by EHRC’s Privacy Policy).

Should EHRC need to collect your personal information, other than simply for processing, we will advise you of the purposes for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information at or prior to the time of collection.

What type of information do we gather?

  • Information from participants in industry consultation activities such as surveys and focus groups
  • Information provided to and received from third parties, such as consultants, who are contracted to do work for, or on behalf of, EHRC
  • Contact information for communications
  • Information received from and about persons registered in workshops, seminars, and other programs offered by EHRC and its partners
  • Information from persons completing comment forms from EHRC workshops, seminars and other programs offered by EHRC and its partners
  • Information posted to the EHRC website
  • Information received from persons applying for a partnership with EHRC

Research and Survey Data Collection

Protecting survey respondents’ privacy rights is vitally important to EHRC, and to our stakeholders.

Personal information, email addresses or other data are considered confidential and will not be sold, rented, exchanged or passed onto third parties, other than outlined in our privacy policy or unless expressly indicated otherwise. When using third parties to conduct market research, surveys, product/program development, etc., EHRC will only provide information necessary for project completion. All information released to third parties is confidential and protected by legal agreement outlining its use for each project.

Data collected through research activities, conducted by the EHRC or third parties acting on the EHRC’s behalf, will not be published with reference to any specific source.

Electricity Human Resources Canada Website

Electricity Human Resources Canada respects the privacy of every individual and organization that visits our website and is committed to treating it with the utmost respect.

By accessing, using, and/or downloading material from or posting materials to the EHRC site, you agree on your own behalf and on behalf of each entity on whose behalf you act, to the terms of this Privacy Policy and to the practices for the collection, use or disclosure of your Personal Information as described here.

EHRC may make amendments or modifications to this Privacy Statement from time to time concerning its privacy practices in order to properly implement new products and features on its sites, to comply with its obligations at law or to amend its best privacy practices.

Ordering Products Online

When you voluntarily provide us with personal information such as name, shipping and billing address, and credit card number when ordering products online, we will use the information to fulfill your order. We may forward the information collected to other EHRC employees or contractors or to other computer systems (such as secure electronic commerce servers) to complete the requested transaction.

Anonymous Browsing – IP Addresses

When you visit EHRC’s website, our web server automatically recognizes the Internet domain and IP address from which you access the site, to compile statistics regarding the volume and timing of access to our website. We do this so that we can improve the content and structure of www.electricityhr.ca. Only aggregate information is collected and the Personal Information of individual visitors is not identified. We will not share or sell this information to a third party, except in cases of electronic intrusion, attempted or successful, where material pertinent to the intrusion may be shared with computer security professionals as well as with law enforcement officials in those cases warranting legal attention.

Third Party Websites and Personal Information

The EHRC site may contain links to other sites which we believe will be of interest and value to our visitors, including those of our business partners and industry stakeholders. While we try to link only to sites that share our high standards and respect for privacy please understand that EHRC is not responsible for the Privacy Policies or other terms of use of these third parties. Once you leave our servers, the use of any information you provide is governed by the Private Policy of the site you are visiting. We urge you not to supply Personal Information to these sites unless you have verified their security and Privacy Policies.

Accuracy

EHRC will endeavor to ensure that Personal Information is accurate, complete and up to date. It is your responsibility to inform EHRC immediately of any change of name, address or other Personal Information.

Security of Personal Information

EHRC makes every reasonable effort to protect any Personal Information we have in our possession by implementing security safeguards, electronic and physical, against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification.

In addition, EHRC ensures that employees understand the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of Personal Information.

Choice to Opt Out

EHRC may, from time to time, use personal data that you provide, namely your e-mail or mailing address, to send you information about news, research activities, seminars and events that may be of interest to you. We do this to increase the value we provide to you. Should you no longer wish to receive this type of information, or to request deletion of you information from our database, please contact us at  [email protected].

Individual Access

This process is related to access of information: “A person may request information on the existence, source, use and disclosure (including third parties) of his/her personal information.” In addition, EHRC is required to ensure that the information it collects is accurate and complete. As a result, we provide individuals the opportunity to update or correct their personal information. The following is the EHRC process for handling requests for personal information:

  1. The person makes a request for details about their Personal Information to EHRC.
  2. This request is sent/directed to the privacy officer.
  3. The privacy officer responds to the person in writing within two weeks of receiving the request.
  4. If the person would like to see a list of Personal Information EHRC has about them, the privacy officer will send a hard copy of the list through the mail, marked confidential.
  5. If the person would like to see the Personal Information that EHRC has about them, the privacy officer will schedule a meeting with that person to give them access to this Personal Information.
  6. In the letter and/or in the meeting, the privacy officer will let the individual know that they are welcome to follow up at any time.
  7. After sending the letter or holding the meeting with the person, the privacy officer will record the letter/meeting information in a hard copy file that is stored in a locked file cabinet.

In some limited circumstances, a request for access to information may be legally denied by the EHRC as provided under the Act (e.g. where the disclosure of an individual’s Personal Information would reveal the Personal Information of a third party).

Process for Handling Complaints

When EHRC receives a compliance challenge or complaint, these steps will be followed:

  1. The privacy officer is immediately made aware of the complaint.
  2. The contact information for the complainant is recorded and sent to the privacy officer immediately.
  3. The person is asked to make the challenge or complaint in writing to the privacy officer.
  4. The privacy officer reviews the complaint and responds to the complainant within a reasonable amount of time.
  5. The privacy officer informs the complainant that they may contact the Privacy Commissioner about the complaint.

Contacting the Privacy Officer

This policy addresses some of the main privacy concerns that you might have. If you have concerns regarding the EHRC’s Privacy Policy please contact:

The Privacy Officer
Electricity Human Resources Canada
2197 Riverside Dr., Suite 405
Ottawa, ON K1H 7X3
Phone: (613) 235-5540
Fax: (613) 235-6922
Email: [email protected]

For more information on PIPEDA visit: https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/
Office of the Privacy Commissioner: https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/
Department of Justice: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/