Much of the personal data described in the rest of this privacy notice will be held in electronic form in systems provided or hosted by BU, including systems we have procured from third party providers.  Separate privacy information will be given to you about some of these systems.  Some of your information may be held in cloud-based systems.  We enter into agreements with IT service providers so that we have appropriate assurances in place regarding the functionality and security of their systems, to ensure that your data is processed in compliance with the data protection laws which apply in the UK.

Data relating to your job application and our communications with you at the applicant stage is held within a cloud hosted, electronic recruitment system called Eploy. Any applicant data processed prior to our implementation of Eploy, but within the relevant retention period, is held within relevant electronic files which are secured with access permissions.

BU uses a cloud hosted electronic staff record and payroll system called iTrent for employment records. We have skeleton records relating to employment held in archived versions of previous systems called Bond and CoreHR. In addition, BU currently uses a cloud hosted system called e-Days for holiday records. All holiday records held within e-Days will be transferred into the core staff records in iTrent during 2023 and e-Days will be cleared of data and decommissioned once this transition is complete. In addition, BU uses a number of different platforms for the purpose of development and training. These include KnowBe4, WorkRite and Brightspace.

More information: There is an individual iTrent record for each current and former member of BU staff. The information held within iTrent during the period of employment and for six years afterwards includes information such as your name, title, addresses, telephone numbers, and personal email addresses, qualifications, job title, salary, payslips, your bank details and emergency contact and other key aspects of your employment contract with BU. Six years after employment ceases only the following core meta data will be retained: Name, Date of Birth, NI number, and BU dates of employment.

Electronic employment records about you are accessible to other BU staff to the extent that they require access for the purposes of their role within BU, to fulfil our employment duties with you (such as to process payroll, sickness, annual leave and IT access) and where a legitimate and vital interest exists (such as in an emergency). BU uses MHR UK as a data processor to support the running of the iTrent system.

If you are a BU employee, some types of information which are held securely within iTrent will also be separately held in electronic and/or hard copy by the Faculty or Professional Service in which you work including information about any appraisal and development matters and any additional support needs you may have.

Your personal data will also be held in electronic and/or hard copies within files and email folders in individual BU administration departments as appropriate.  This includes information held by our Human Resources (HR), Health, Safety and Wellbeing and Payroll teams, RDS (for the purpose of grant bidding and REF), Estates (Parking Permits) in relation to the services they provide to you and to BU, and your interactions with them.  It will also include any information generated through your decision to access additional services provided by or through BU such as the Employee Assistance Programme, Occupational Health, Staff Benefit Schemes, Coaching and development.

How long we keep your personal data

We will aim to retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes of the processing which are explained above, and any secondary purposes such as audit, regulatory and legal record-keeping requirements.
In general, we apply the following principles to determine how long we will keep your data:

Record group Retention period
Applicant records including personal details, job applications and interview records Six (6) months of the date consent was last provided in the online recruitment system, or six (6) months after the outcome of the latest application, whichever is later
Employee records (records containing employment data of individual members of staff including Written Particulars of Employment, Contracts of Employment, Changes to Terms and Conditions of Employment, Termination of Employment, details of performance, training and absences unrelated to health surveillance records) For the duration of employment and up to six (6) years after employment ceases
Employee records administration (database records for all current and former employees, including Name/DoB/NI number/BU start and end dates) For the duration of employment and up to six (6) years after employment ceases after which only the following core meta data will be retained: Name/DoB/NI number/BU start and end dates
Records documenting entitlements to, and calculations of, Statutory Payments For a period of three (3) years following the end of the tax year to which they relate
Records documenting health surveillance records including details of absences of an employee relating to health surveillance For the duration of employment and up to forty (40) years from date of entry after employment ceases dependent upon causation

These principles may only be departed from where it is necessary and proportionate for BU to keep the record for a longer period. For example, if the record is, or is likely to be required, for evidential purposes; if BU is subject to a legal obligation to retain the record for an additional period, or where the record is required by BU for another lawful purpose (for example, where the basis for our processing changes over time due to developments in circumstances or in our relationship with the individual).

Privacy Notice Contents

  1. Introduction

  2. When and how we collect your data

  3. What personal data we process and why

  4. Lawful basis for processing your personal data

  5. How we hold your personal data and for how long

  6. Data Sharing

  7. Overseas transfers of personal data

  8. Your rights as a data subject and how to exercise them

  9. Further Information