Our Commitment

Tamex values the privacy of every individual and regards the secure protection of personal information entrusted to us by or about individuals as of paramount importance. We are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) and the Privacy Amendment Act 2012 (Privacy Amendment Act). Our practices have been designed to adhere to the Australian Privacy Principles (APP). This protection is a fundamental part of our service to you.

How We Will Meet Our Commitment

This policy outlines how Tamex will manage the collection, use, disclosure and handling of your personal information in accordance with the National Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 and other applicable laws.

Scope

This policy covers all individuals working at all levels, including employees, sub-contractors, agents and labour hire staff “Workers”. All workers are expected to comply with this policy at all times to protect the privacy, confidentiality, and interests of our company and our services, employees, partners, customers and competitors.

Policy

The Privacy Act & the Australian Privacy Principles

There are thirteen (13) APP’s that prescribe the manner in which information is collected and used. They outline the conditions under which information can be disclosed, as well as principles governing the integrity, accuracy, and security of the collected data. The principles cover issues surrounding information exchange, access by individuals to their records, the requirement for responding to data breaches, the right to examine records and correct any inaccuracies, use of identifiers, the right of an individual to deal anonymously with organisations, and the type of information collected.

Full details of the APP are available from the website of The Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner.

How we collect your personal information

Our policy and practice at Tamex is to collect information directly from you, or from agents, on-forwarders & customers or employment facilitators whom you have authorised to deal with us, either specifically or as part of a general authority to interact with employment industry organisations to promote your interests. We may collect information from forms that you submit to us, over the telephone, by mail, fax or email.

The type of information collected relates specifically to enhancing the services we provide for you and may include name, address and other contact details, work experience resumes, personal references from former employers or other volunteered sources, health histories and information about special needs required to maximise your employment prospects, and educational, professional, trade or personal skills. Some information may derive from third parties, for example medical checks, police checks and driving or work history confirmation. All information that we obtain, seek and store is gained as a result of your desire to access our services.

How we use your personal information

The information collected is used to provide you with the services you have sought from us. Our aim is to provide the best service possible and we will only collect information necessary to achieve that aim. We will advise you personally, or through your authorised appointed representative, the purpose for which we will use or disclose information about you. As an essential part of the service we provide, we must discuss your details with organisations we approach on your behalf.

We may disclose your information to:

  • Negotiate employment or other opportunities on your behalf
  • Help us further develop our relationship with you
  • Comply with any legal reporting requirement

Storage and security of your information

All of your information is held in confidence and stored securely. Our duty of confidentiality is both legally and ethically paramount and will only be overridden with your consent, where we are compelled to disclose by law, or where public security issues dictate disclosure.

Storage of information is either in hardcopy or electronically or both. Access to the information is strictly limited to officers who need it to act effectively on your behalf. Hardcopy material is stored in lockable cabinets and our data systems have password access facilities.

Physical access to our premises is monitored with after-hours access also being controlled. Computers are fire-walled and maintained within the confines of the Tamex building.

Team meetings and confidential discussions, including telephone screening of employment applicants and discussions with potential employers, are held in appropriately confidential surrounds. Minutes and notes from meetings are securely maintained.

Unsolicited job applications

If we receive unsolicited employment applications, which are not in response to an advertised vacancy and do not fulfil our company’s functions or activities they will be:

  • Destroyed
  • De-identified so the personal information cannot be connected with the applicant.

If they do fulfil our company’s functions or activities, they will be kept on file for a maximum of six months before being destroyed.

Workplace Tracking and Surveillance

Workplace tracking occurs on Tamex premises and equipment. The tracking will be continuous and will be carried out on an ongoing basis.

The use of the tracking system will be ethical. The tracking system will not be used to pry into workers’ personal activities. The tracking system will only be used for the following purposes:

  • Monitoring and tracking workers to more efficiently allocate work;
  • Provide head office employees with the location of field workers for the purposes of job allocation;
  • Increase safety for field workers;
  • Monitor productivity and efficiency.

All workers who have been provided with or use a device owned by the organisation are deemed to consent to tracking of the device in accordance with this policy.

Workers will not misuse the tracking system or tamper with any tracking device. If a worker misuses the tracking system or tampers with a tracking device, disciplinary action will follow which may include termination of employment. If a contractor misuses the tracking system or tampers with a tracking device, appropriate action will be taken under the relevant contract of engagement and may result in termination of the contract.

Your right to know: requests for access and right of correction

It is in our interests and is your fundamental right to have information about you kept up to date and as accurate as possible. Only through having complete, current information can we provide you with the level of service you expect. We take every reasonable step to ensure accuracy and currency of your personal data.

You may access the information we hold about you on request. You generally do not need to provide us with a reason for your request. We will usually be able to provide the information immediately or within a very short time. We may provide information to you in a number of ways including photocopying, allowing you to take notes, printing out electronically stored data, faxing information to you, or providing you with a summary of information held. A reasonable administrative charge (negotiable) may be levied under some circumstances.

There are some circumstances in which we may not be able to provide the information. These include matters where legal action is pending, law prevents disclosure, the rights of others to privacy may be compromised, or the request is frivolous. Should access be denied, we will provide you with a comprehensive report explaining the decision.

Should you consider that the information held by us is outdated, incomplete, inaccurate or capable of misinterpretation without additional explanatory material, you are advised to contact us immediately to enable prompt amendment to our records. In the event that we disagree with your assertions of inaccuracy, we will note your points of difference and maintain them with your information.

Any information held about you that is no longer relevant to our operations in your interests, or needed for legal requirements, or useful in maintaining the effectiveness of our services will be destroyed. We use secure shredding services for hard copy records and delete all unnecessary electronic data from our systems.

Our workers are always available and ready to assist you with any concern. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any concerns relating to collection, storage and use of your personal information.

Sensitive information

We will not hold sensitive information about you without your consent unless required by law. We are especially conscious of the sensitivity of some information necessarily divulged to us in the course of our duty to you and emphasise the absolute confidentiality in which we secure and protect such disclosed information.

Privacy and website security

We take all possible measures to ensure website security of interactions between you and Tamex. Our system is unable to identify individuals who access our site unless the person concerned chooses to divulge personal or company information. Our website data collection is limited to the number of times the discreet areas of our site are accessed and, in common with all systems, can identify the service provider through whom access was made. We do not record such service providers who, themselves, are bound by law to not reveal the identity of users of their services.

We are able to ensure this type of security because, unlike many commercial sites, which are used to conducting transactions such as account payments and product ordering, ours is primarily an informational site and this allows us greater flexibility over access security.

Other Sources of Information

The Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner has produced informational material on privacy issues which is available on their website at www.privacy.gov.au . They also maintain a Privacy Hotline on 1300 363 992 (free call).

All State Governments have legislation dealing with privacy issues, which may be accessed through their relevant contact facilities.

We believe that all matters of concern between our clients and Tamex can be effectively resolved between both parties and are prepared to engage professional mediators to ensure satisfactory harmony and our mutual interests are protected and maintained.

Supporting Policies and Procedures

This policy should be read and followed in conjunction with the full listing of Tamex’s Policies and Procedures.

Policy Breaches

Failure to comply with this policy will be considered a breach of Tamex Policy, and may result in an investigation, where appropriate. Breaches of this Policy may result in disciplinary action, ranging from a warning through to the termination of your employment and/ or legal proceedings for serious breaches. Each breach will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Policy Authorised By

Tamex will ensure this Policy is reviewed and evaluated for its effectiveness in delivering policy objectives on an annual basis or earlier and may be amended by Tamex from time to time.