Introduction

The protection of your personal data is of paramount importance to us (“we”, “us” and “our”). This notice sets out how the data you submit through our recruitment portal at www.abf-grocery-grads.com and during the recruitment process is used and how we protect your personal data in accordance with current data protection law.

Who are we?

ABF Grocery is a trading division of the ABF group and for the purposes of data protection law, the following companies will be joint data controllers of the data you submit when you apply: ABF Grain Products Limited (company number 79590), AB World Foods Limited (company number 01400904), R Twining and Company Limited (company number 525071) and British Sugar plc (company number 315158). References to “we”, “our” or “us” in this privacy notice mean each of or any of those companies.

By submitting your application, your data will be shared with each of the companies mentioned above and each company will use the data for the purposes set out in this notice.

Questions, comments or enquiries concerning this privacy notice are welcomed. You can contact us at any time by emailing: abf@cohesionrecruitment.com.

Your Information

We collect and use information in connection with your application. This information includes your name, home address, phone number, nationality, immigration status, education, qualifications and professional experience.

Where sensitive personal data is collected, we will ensure that any additional legal requirements are complied with. For example, it may be necessary to ask for your consent in certain circumstances.

Purposes

We use your personal data for the purposes of considering your application, including for the conduct of eligibility checks. We will also use any information you or others provide to consider your application and for our legitimate interests in managing recruitment.

If your application is successful, relevant information will be used for the purpose of administrating your subsequent employment and will be retained and used in accordance with our employee privacy policy (a copy of which will be provided to you on offer of employment).

References

By submitting an application you are also confirming that you have all necessary authority and/or have obtained all necessary consents from any other individuals about whom you have provided personal information to us in order to enable us to collect, use and disclose such personal information for the purposes described above.

Background Checks

For certain positions it may be necessary for us to verify the details you have provided (for example, in relation to your academic credentials) and/or to carry out background checks (for example in relation to previous criminal convictions). We may use third party service providers to carry out these checks on our behalf. If a position that is, or may be, of interest to you requires background checks, we will tell you about this. We will carry out background checks only where permitted by local law and with your consent.

Automated decision making

For some positions we use automated programmes to identify suitable candidates. If we do use automated assessment in relation to your application we will tell you about this and you will be able to ask us to review the assessment that has been made.

Legal Basis

Your data is processed by us because:

this is necessary for the legitimate interests of the business in relation to recruitment and hiring staff which are not overridden by the interests, rights and freedoms of affected individuals;

this is necessary for compliance with legal obligations to which the business is subject;

this is necessary for the taking of steps at the request of the individual with a view to entering into a contract.

Retention of your data

If your application is unsuccessful, we will hold details of your application for a period of 9 months after that decision is made to deal with any matter which may arise in connection with your application.

We may also use the information during this period to consider your suitability for other vacancies within the ABF Grocery division. If you would prefer to opt out of further consideration then please email us at abf@cohesionrecruitment.com. This should not prevent you from applying to other jobs during this time.

If your application is successful we will retain and use it in accordance with our employee privacy policy (a copy of which will be provided to you on offer of employment).

Disclosure to third parties

Personal data will be shared between the companies mentioned in this policy for recruitment and hiring purposes.

Personal data may be shared with government authorities and/or law enforcement officials if required for the purposes above, if mandated by law or if required for the legal protection of our legitimate interests in compliance with applicable laws.

Personal data may also be shared with third party service providers such as our recruitment agencies.

In the event that any of the companies mentioned in this policy are sold or integrated with another business, your details will be disclosed to our advisers and any prospective purchaser’s advisers and will be passed to the new owners of the business.

Transfer outside EEA

Personal data may be transferred to our affiliates and suppliers in countries outside the European Economic Area (the “EEA”) where standards of data protection are not equivalent to those that apply outside the EEA. Personal data and may be stored and processed manually and electronically through global systems and tools for the purposes outlined above.

We ensure that we comply with the applicable legal requirements when transferring personal data outside the EEA and our usual practice is to either base transfers on contractual clauses that have been approved by the European Commission, rely on EU/US Privacy Shield (for transfers to the US) or our supplier’s Binding Corporate Rules.

Security

We have taken appropriate technical, administrative, physical and procedural security measures, consistent with local and international information practices, to protect your personal data from misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure, loss, alteration, or destruction.

Cookies

Our recruitment site uses ‘cookies’ to collect information about your visit and track your use of the site. This is statistical data about your browsing actions and patterns, and does not identify any individual.

A cookie is a small amount of data, which often includes a unique identifier that is sent to your computer or mobile phone (referred to here as a "device") browser from a website's computer. It's stored on your device's hard drive. Each website can send its own cookie to your browser if your browser's preferences allow it, but to protect your privacy your browser only permits a website to access the cookies it has already sent to you, not the cookies sent to you by other sites.

Users have the opportunity to set their devices to accept all cookies, to notify them when a cookie is issued, or not to receive cookies at any time. Each browser is different, so check the "Help" menu of your browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences. Please be aware that blocking cookies may affect the functionality of the Site.

You can find more information about the individual cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them in the table below: