The Grand Valley Human Resources Professionals Association (GVHRPA) has always been committed to the protection of the personal information of its members, partners, and other stakeholders.  On January 1, 2004, the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) began to apply to provincially regulated organizations that collect, use, and disclose personal information in the course of commercial activity.  As such, the GVHRPA has developed the following Privacy Policy in order to ensure compliance with PIPEDA, as well as to inform individuals of our continuing commitment to the protection of their personal information.

What is personal information?

Personal information includes any factual or subjective information, recorded or not, about an identifiable individual. This includes information in any form such as a personal e-mail address, food allergies, credit card numbers, home addresses, and so on.  It does not include information normally found on a business card, such as name, title, company, business address, business e-mail address, business telephone number, or business fax number.

Who is responsible for protecting the personal information collected, used, and disclosed by the GVHRPA?

The President of the GVHRPA is the Privacy Officer for the organization.  The Privacy Officer, along with members of the GVHRPA staff and board and committee members, are responsible for ensuring compliance with PIPEDA and with this Privacy Policy. At times, GVHRPA staff may be delegated to act on behalf of the Privacy Officer or to take responsibility for occasional collection, use, and disclosure of personal information.

Why does the GVHRPA collect or use personal information?

The GVHRPA is committed to providing its members and other individuals with quality professional development opportunities, excellent networking events, up-to-date information in the field of Human Resources (HR), as well as information regarding the association itself.  In order to meet these goals, the GVHRPA may collect, use, and disclose personal information, when applicable, for the following purposes:

• to uphold the commitment to continue professional growth in human resources management, in support of the goals, objectives and by-laws of the Association;
• to verify the identity of GVHRPA members;
• to register members and non-members for GVHRPA events;
• to communicate and provide information about member benefits;
• to communicate and provide information about up-coming HR and HR-related events and opportunities;
• to provide Human Resources related information via e-mail and/or regular mail to GVHRPA members;
• to ensure individuals' food preferences and needs are met at GVHRPA events;
• to record members' attendance at GVHRPA professional development events in order to assist them in their CHRP recertification;
• to identify prospective GVHRPA members within the Human Resources community;
• to promote our programs and services to prospective members;
• to announce the names of new members, as well as those members who have changed jobs, been transferred to the Grand Valley Chapter, or have received the CHRP designation in the Chapter's publication info . News  info ; and
• to publish and provide the GVHRPA Directory to its members.

Does the GVHRPA disclose personal information?

Unless required to do so by law, the GVHRPA does not currently disclose the personal information under its control to a third party.  It does not trade, sell, barter, or give away its membership list to anyone.  Should it be necessary in the future to make such a disclosure, the GVHRPA will not do so without the express consent of the individuals involved.

How do individuals provide the GVHRPA with their consent for the collection, use, and disclosure of their personal information?

When members join the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario (HRPAO), they provide their personal information expressly through a registration process.  At that time, they choose the GVHRPA as their chapter within the organization.  The GVHRPA then has access only to the personal information provided by the member that is required to fulfill the purposes stated above.  When the GVHRPA holds events, personal information is also collected directly from those individuals who will be attending.  Personal information about prospective members is collected from the individuals when they attend GVHRPA or GVHRPA-partnered events.

Consent can be withdrawn at any time by contacting the GVHRPA Privacy Officer who will ensure that the individual's personal information held by GVHRPA is no longer used or disclosed by the organization.  The GVHRPA Privacy Officer can also provide assistance to the individual in withdrawing consent for personal information held by the HRPAO.

How much personal information does the GVHRPA collect, use, or disclose?

The GVHRPA collects, uses, and discloses personal information only to the extent required to fulfill the purposes stated within this policy.

How long does the GVHRPA retain personal information?

The GVHRPA retains personal information only for as long as is required to fulfill the purposes stated within this policy, and to meet all requirements by law. For example, a list of attendees at GVHRPA professional development events is maintained for a period of three years in order to assist members in their CHRP recertification. Credit card information collected during registration for events is only kept for three months in order to process the transaction or to provide a refund if necessary.  Members' contact information is kept for the duration of their membership and is renewed once a year.

How accurate is the personal information collected, used, and disclosed by the GVHRPA?

Personal information that is collected, used, and disclosed by GVHRPA is provided by individuals and is updated by the association when requested by the individual.  If an individual's personal information requires amendment, they may contact the GVHRPA Office at 279 Weber Street North, Waterloo, ON  N2J 3H8 or by fax at 519-747-8125 or email office@GVHRPA.on.ca to ensure that the correction is made.  Note that for any  information held by the HRPAO, members must provide their changes directly by either  logging in  at www.hrpao.org or calling the HRPAO Membership Coordinator at 416-923-2324 (this profile cannot be changed by the GVHRPA). 

How secure is the personal information stored at the GVHRPA?

The GVHRPA is committed to ensuring that personal information is protected from unauthorized access, unintended disclosures, or theft.  This protection is provided by firewalls in the computer system, passwords to protect databases, locked filing cabinets, and restricted access to offices.  Only the Privacy Officer and delegated individuals have access to this information.

How is personal information collected, used, or disclosed via GVHRPA's web site?

In order to enhance your browsing experience when accessing GVHRPA's web sites, a small text file called a "cookie" is sent from our web server to your browser and stored on your computer.   Cookies enhance your browsing experience, and also allow us to recognize you when you return to GVHRPA's web sites.   You may set your browser to notify you when you receive cookies and you may choose to disable or delete cookies if you wish.   Cookies are not programs or code, and are only used to optimize browsing.

GVHRPA's website also logs IP addresses of visitors.  This information is used, in aggregate form, to provide statistical measures about usage of the site.  This in turn allows us to continually improve the content and design of our web sites. 

GVHRPA's website may contain links to other websites owned and operated by third parties.  While we attempt to ensure that these organizations adhere to similar privacy policies, we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such sites.  It is highly recommended that you review the privacy policies of other sites prior to providing any personal information on those sites.

How can individuals learn more about GVHRPA's Privacy Policy?

Updated versions of this Privacy Policy will continue to be posted on the GVHRPA website at www.gvhrpa.on.ca as we make improvements.  This Policy is also available in hard-copy at the GVHRPA office, a copy of which can be requested by contacting the GVHRPA at:

GVHRPA
279 Weber Street North, Suite 116
Waterloo, ON
N2J 3H8

Phone: (519) 747-8102
Fax: (519) 747-8125
E-mail: office@GVHRPA.on.ca

How can individuals access their personal information held by the GVHRPA?

Individuals have a right to access their own personal information in the possession and control of the GVHRPA.  They also have a right to know if their information has been disclosed to any third parties.  If individuals wish to access their personal information, they need to contact the GVHRPA Privacy Officer in writing at the above mailing or e-mail address. The GVHRPA reserves the right to charge a reasonable fee for the copying of this information.

How can individuals relay their concerns about their personal information held by the GVHRPA?

If individuals have a complaint related to the GVHRPA Privacy Policy, they may contact the Privacy Officer using any of the foregoing contact information.  If the Privacy Officer is unable to resolve the concern, or if there are further complaints, individuals may contact the Chief Privacy Officer of the HRPAO at:

HRPAO
1902-2 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON
M4W 3E2

Phone: (416) 923-2324
Fax: (416) 923-7264
E-mail: privacy@hrpao.org