The Salt & Shein Partnership ("Salt & Shein") is committed to providing you with the highest levels of professional service, this includes protecting your privacy.

We understand and respect the importance you place on the privacy of your personal information.  To protect your right to privacy, we have developed a Privacy Policy, which explains:

• How we collect and use your personal information
• Your right of access to your personal information
• Your right to inspect and, where necessary, correct the personal information that we hold about you
• Your right to have your privacy complaints investigated and resolved
• Your right to have your personal information protected from misuse or unauthorised access

Salt & Shein will take all reasonable steps to protect the privacy of the personal information that we collect and use. Our Privacy Policy sets out how we intend to do so. This policy applies to all clients, individuals, job applicants and prospective employees who provide us with their personal information.

What is personal information?

Personal information is any information that can be used to identify you. This includes any personal information or opinions about you, whether true or not, no matter how the information or opinions are recorded.

Sensitive information is a special category of personal information and includes information about your health, race or ethnic origin, political or religious beliefs, membership of a trade union or association, sexual preferences or criminal record. We will not disclose your sensitive information without your express prior consent unless there is a need to disclose such information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

Why do we collect personal information?

We collect the personal information and resumes of individuals as a result of applications received for positions that we advertise on behalf of our clients.

We also collect and use personal information for the following purposes:

• To contact you regarding other recruitment opportunities 
• For assessing and facilitating your application for employment with prospective employers

What personal information do we collect and use?

Personal information that we collect and use may include your name, date of birth, current address, email address, telephone numbers, work history, performance appraisals, qualifications, health information, personal history, opinions from referees and our assessment of you as a prospective candidate for recruitment.

The personal information that we collect and hold usually falls into the following categories:

• Personal information obtained from job applicants in connection with previous periods of employment
• Work performance information, qualifications and academic transcripts
• Information about incidents in the workplace
• Information and opinions from referees
• Information submitted and independently obtained in relation to absences from work due to leave, illness or other causes
• Information obtained to assist in managing client and business relationships

We will not use your personal information for any purpose which is not related to the service we provide to you or for any purpose for which you would not reasonably expect us to use your personal information.

We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information that we hold is accurate and up to date. If you feel that information about you is not accurate or your details have or are about to change, please inform us and we will correct or update your personal information.

If you would like to access any of our services on an anonymous basis please tell us. If this is possible and lawful, we will take all reasonable steps to comply with your request. However, if you choose not to provide us with your personal information we may not be able to provide you with the services or assistance you require, including arranging suitable interviews for you.

How do we collect personal information?

Where possible, we collect your personal information directly from you. If you feel that the information that we are requesting is not information that you wish to provide, please feel free to raise this with us.

In certain situations we also obtain information from third parties such as referees, educational institutions and former employers.

When do we disclose your personal information?

For the purposes referred to in this policy we may disclose your personal information to:

• Prospective employers
• Your referees
• Your former employers
• Educational institutions
• Our clients
• Our referees
• Our professional advisors including our accountants, auditors and lawyers
• Our related companies and our contractors and suppliers

Do we send information overseas?

We do not usually send personal information out of Australia. If you need us to send information to another country we will do so with your consent. If we are otherwise required to send information overseas we will take measures to protect your personal information. We will protect your personal information either by ensuring that the country of destination has similar protections in relation to privacy or that we enter into contractual arrangements with the recipient of your personal information that safeguards your privacy.

Access to and correction of your personal information

You have a right to access and copy your personal information, subject to certain exceptions provided for in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). If you would like to access your personal information please follow the procedures set out in our Access Policy.

Our Access Policy is outlined below.  For security reasons, you will be required to put your request in writing and provide proof of your identity. If you are able to establish that personal information we hold about you is not accurate, complete or up to date we will take all reasonable steps to correct our records.

Security of your information

We will take all reasonable steps to secure your personal information. Electronic information is protected by various security measures and access to information and databases is restricted to staff of Salt & Shein that need access to the information in order to perform their duties.

Complaints

We have a Grievance Policy for dealing with your privacy complaints. The purpose of the policy is to ensure that any person that has a complaint with the way their personal information is collected, used, disclosed, stored and administered may lodge a complaint under the Grievance Policy. All complaints will be treated seriously and dealt with promptly. The Grievance Policy is our way of ensuring your privacy concerns are raised and addressed promptly. Our Grievance Policy can be accessed below.

Fair Trading Amendment (Employment Placement Services) Act 2002 and Regulations

The above Act and Regulations require us to provide the following statement to you.

• Salt & Shein is an employment placement service and we do not charge candidates (job applicants) a fee for the purpose of finding candidates employment.
  
• We do not engage in any misleading or deceptive conduct including activities such as:
  
• Advertising a position as being available when we know no such position exists.
  
• Knowingly giving misleading information to a candidate about the nature of a position.

Any job seeker or job applicant who believes that any employment placement service has acted inappropriately may contact the Department of Fair Trading on 133 220.

How to contact us

If you would like more information on privacy or have any questions in relation to this policy, we can be contacted by telephone, mail or facsimile as follows:

Salt & Shein
L46, 1 Farrer Place
Governor Phillip Tower
Locked Bag No. 6
Sydney NSW 2000

Telephone: (02) 9947 9732
Facsimile: (02) 9947 9777

We reserve the right to review, and if necessary, change this policy.

July 2004
ACCESS POLICY - Salt & Shein Pty. Ltd.
How we provide access to your personal information

Purpose

The purpose of this Policy is to set out how Salt & Shein provide access to your personal information. The Access Policy is part of our Privacy Policy and our desire to provide for, maintain and give effect to your right to privacy.

Overriding principles

At all times conduct under this Policy will be governed by the following principles:

• All requests will be dealt with promptly and in a confidential manner
• Any inaccurate or out of date information will be corrected
• Your request to access your personal information will not affect any commercial or professional arrangements between you and Salt & Shein

How to obtain access?

We will provide access by allowing you to inspect, take notes of or receive copies or print outs of the personal information that we hold about you. To obtain access please make your request in writing, addressed to us. Our contact details are available on our website.

For security reasons you will be required to put your request in writing and provide proof of your identity. This is necessary to ensure that personal information is provided only to the correct individuals and that the privacy of others is not undermined.

If you are able to establish that the personal information we hold about you is not accurate, complete or up to date we will take all reasonable steps to correct our records.

When will access be denied?

Access will be denied if:

• The request does not relate to the personal information of the person making the request
• Providing access would pose a serious and imminent threat to the life or health of a person
• Providing access would create an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others
• The request is frivolous and vexatious
• The request relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings
• Providing access would prejudice negotiations with the individual making the request
• Access would be unlawful
• Denial of access is authorised or required by law
• Access would prejudice law enforcement activities
• Access discloses a 'commercially sensitive' decision making process or information
• Any other reason that is provided for in the National Privacy Principles

If we deny access to information we will set our reasons for denying access. Where there is a dispute about your right of access to information this will be dealt with in accordance with our Grievance Policy.

Time

We will take all reasonable steps to provide access or the information requested within 14 days of your request. In situations where the request is complicated or requires access to a large volume of information, we will provide access or the information requested within 30 days.

We may seek payment for our costs of supplying you with this information.

GRIEVANCE POLICY - Salt & Shein Pty. Ltd.
How we handle privacy complaints

Who may lodge a grievance or complaint under this policy?

If you have provided us with personal information, or we have collected and hold your personal information, you have a right to make a complaint and have it investigated and dealt with under this policy.

What is a "privacy" complaint?

A privacy complaint relates to any concern that you may have regarding our privacy practices or our handling of your personal information. This could include matters such as:

• How your personal information is collected or stored;
• How your personal information is used or disclosed
• How access is provided to your personal information.

What do I do if I have a complaint about the privacy practices of Salt & Shein?

If you have a complaint about our privacy practices or our handling of your personal information please contact us. We try to resolve complaints at the local level if possible. All complaints will be logged on our database. Our contact details are available on our website.

Complaint resolution procedure

The goal of this policy is to achieve an effective resolution of your complaint as soon as possible.

Once the complaint has been made, we will try to resolve the matter in a number of ways:

• We may request further information from you. You should be prepared to provide us with as much information as possible, including details of any relevant dates and documentation. This will enable us to investigate the complaint and determine an appropriate solution. All details provided will be kept confidential.
• We will discuss options for resolution with you and if you have suggestions about how the matter might be resolved you should raise these with us
• Where necessary, the complaint will be investigated. We will try to do so within a reasonable time frame. It may be necessary to contact others in order to proceed with the investigation. This may be necessary in order to progress your complaint.
• If your complaint involves the conduct of our employees we will raise the matter with the employee concerned and seek their comment and input in the resolution of the complaint.
• If your complaint is not able to be resolved at a local level it will be referred to a Director.
• If your complaint is found to be substantiated, you will be informed of this. We will then take appropriate agreed steps to resolve the complaint, address your concerns and prevent the problem from recurring.
• If the complaint is not substantiated, or cannot be resolved to your satisfaction, but this Policy has been followed, the decision may be referred to an appropriate intermediary. For example, this may mean an appropriately qualified lawyer or an agreed third party, to act as a mediator.
• If you are still not satisfied with the outcome you are free to take your complaint to the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner.

We will keep a record of your complaint and the outcome.

Anonymous complaints

We are unable to deal with anonymous complaints. This is because we are unable to investigate and follow-up such complaints. However, in the event that an anonymous complaint is received we will note the issues raised and, where appropriate, try and resolve them appropriately.