Workwell Digital Data Privacy Policy

Introduction

Here at WORKWELL Digital, we work hard to ensure that you get the very best experience, whether you are a visitor, or a registered user, without having to worry if your information is safe. Outlined below is how and why we collect, use, and share your personal information, and your rights in relation to that data.

We know that there’s lots of information here, but we want you to be fully informed – we hope the following sections will answer any questions you have but if not, please do get in touch with us. We may update this privacy notice from time to time. You will be notified of any changes to this policy by email, and required to agree to the new version if you are happy to continue to be registered on the WORKWELL site.

About us

The WORKWELL Digital is funded by the Versus Arthritis and sponsored by the University of Salford. The University of Salford is the ‘Data Controller’ of your personal data and is subject to the data protection legislation and to the UK General Data Protection Regulation 2018 (GDPR). We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) registration number Z469563X and our Data Protection Officer is Melanie Earp.

Why do we collect your information?

Under the GDPR we must have justification (“legal basis”) for obtaining your information, we believe that this is:

Public Task

To ensure that we can carry out our role as an educational and research establishment, meeting legal, moral and contractual obligations, as laid out in the University’s Charter.

Informed Consent

We seek to obtain informed consent from users for processing their personal data. By providing clear and transparent information about the types of data collected, the purposes of processing, and the rights of the users, individuals can make an informed decision to grant or withdraw consent. This ensures that the processing is based on the explicit agreement of the individuals involved.

Legitimate Interest

We have a legitimate Interest for processing your personal data to ensure that we can carry out research to tailor resources and services offered on the platform effectively. This interest is balanced with the privacy rights of individuals, and measures are in place to ensure that data processing is fair, transparent, and respectful of user rights.

What sort of data do we collect?

Under the GDPR we are only permitted to collect the minimum amount of information needed to carry out a specific purpose. The purpose of the WORKWELL platform is to support working people with arthritis to access tailored work solutions. This requires us to collect some information about you to ensure we can signpost you to relevant information. We also would like to use the information we have gathered from you to inform future research into working people with arthritis to help improve their working lives. You can access to the WORKWELL solutions without a need for registration. If you decide to register, which is needed to access tailored information, we may collect the following types of personal data about you:

1. Information that helps identify you:
To register, you’ll need to create a personal account on the WORKWELL platform. This account enables you to assess your work support needs through a self-assessment tool. You can save the customized solutions offered to you under your profile for future reference. During registration, you’ll be asked to provide your personal email address. We recommend using a nickname or pseudonym to protect your anonymity. Additionally, choose a strong password and a memorable word. The memorable word will assist us in helping you reset your login details in case you forget your password.

Similarly, if you need to reach out to us for any reason, such as asking questions or requesting the deletion of your account, we will use the information provided during registration to authenticate your inquiry. This involves sending you an email to verify these details, ensuring that we can confirm the legitimacy of your request.

2. About you and your arthritis:
During the registration process, we are also collecting some information about you and your arthritis to help us better understand the WORKWELL platform’s user-base, so we can tailor the advice and resources offered on the site more effectively.

These are multiple choice questions and have been thoughtfully chosen to ensure that your identity cannot be directly discerned from the answers you provide. Some of these questions are compulsory and others are optional, so you can choose not to answer.

Compulsory questions are:

• The age group you belong to (e.g., 35-44 years old)
• Type of inflammatory arthritis you have been diagnosed with (e.g., Rheumatoid Arthritis)
• Time since you have received this diagnosis (e.g., 2-4 years)
• Have you been diagnosed with fibromyalgia (yes / no)

3. Information relating to your education and employment status:
We are gathering information regarding your education and employment status to enhance our understanding of the specific work support requirements for individuals with diverse educational backgrounds and occupations. It’s important to note that these questions are optional, and each one includes the option to select ‘prefer not to say’ to respect your privacy and choices.

Specifically, the questions are:

• Your education level (e.g., degree / diploma / A-level)
• Current employment status (e.g., work full-time / work part-time)
• Are you self-employed? (yes / no)
• How long you have been in your current job? (e.g., less than 6 months)
• What type of contract do you have with your employer? (e.g., permanent contract)
• If you are self-employed, are you? (e.g., sole trader / independent contractor)
• Are you the sole income earner in your household? (yes / no)
• Tell us which occupation group you consider your main job is linked to? (e.g., administrative / agriculture / professional occupations)

4. Sensitive personal data, including:
We acknowledge that we are collecting sensitive personal data, including information about your ethnic origin, gender identity, and sexual orientation. This data is gathered to explore potential connections between these characteristics and difficulties experienced in the workplace or accessing employment. Our goal is to foster inclusivity on our online platform, and your response to these questions will aid us in gaining a deeper understanding of our user base. It’s important to note that these questions are optional, and each one includes the option to select ‘prefer not to say’ to respect your privacy and choices. Specifically, the questions are:

• Your gender identity (e.g., male / female / non-binary)
• Your sexual orientation (e.g., heterosexual / homosexual)
• What is your ethnic group? (e.g., white / black / mixed)

5. Further, optional questionnaires to provide tailored work solutions
Our goal is to provide individuals with personalized work advice and support, and achieving this involves completing a self-assessment to pinpoint specific needs. To facilitate this process, we utilise assessments that have undergone rigorous research, demonstrating validity and reliability specifically within this population. This ensures that the advice and support offered are tailored and effective for individuals seeking assistance. These questionnaires are Rheumatoid Arthritis Work Instability Survey (RA-WIS) and the electronic version of the Work Experience Survey for Rheumatic Conditions (eWES-RC).

6. Other questionnaires and feedback forms
Occasionally, we may introduce short questionnaires and brief feedback forms to gather additional information about your views and experiences while using the WORKWELL platform. It’s important to note that these surveys are entirely optional, meaning you have the choice to decline participation. However, your responses, if provided, will play a crucial role in guiding us toward implementing necessary changes to ensure that the platform aligns with its intended purpose effectively. Your input is highly valued, and we appreciate your consideration in contributing to the enhancement of the WORKWELL platform.

7. Use of online identifiers like cookies and IP addresses
Some personal data may be collected about you from the forms you complete online, from records of our correspondence and phone calls and details of your visits to our website, including but not limited to personally identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. WORKWELL from time to time may use such information to monitor site visits. WORKWELL may also collect statistics about the behaviour of visitors to its website, such as which information is accessed more frequently.

WORKWELL website uses cookies, which is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor’s computer, and that the visitor’s browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. Software is used to help the WORKWELL identify and track visitors and their website access preferences. The WORKWELL website visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using the WORKWELL website.

Rights to Privacy

We appreciate an individual’s right to privacy and in all situations, we strive to achieve a balance between protecting that right and confirming that we have the correct information to ensure we can provide an exceptional experience for all.
Under the GDPR a number of new principles mean that individuals have greater rights concerning their information and how it is used (see Data Subject Rights). We have detailed an overview of these principles below.

Personal Data

Upon your registration to the WORKWELL, you consent us to maintain a dialogue with you until you either optout (which you can do at any stage) or if we decide to cease providing this service. The WORKWELL, also acts on behalf of the University of Salford in the capacity of data processor. When working exclusively as a data processor, WORKWELL will be acting on the instruction of the University and will work hard to ensure that the data collection processes are fully GDPR compliant. As well as determining the means by and purposes for which that data is processed, the University of Salford is the Data Controller, and is legally responsible for the transparent, lawful, secure and fair collection of your personal information. The University of Salford will:

• Ensure data is accurate
• Collect it for legitimate purposes that are clearly stated
• Provide ability for amends / deletion of data
• Not keep data without reason or if consent is withdrawn
• Not to re-use data for a different purpose other than that for which it was obtained, and permission given

Informed Consent

Through agreeing to this privacy notice you are consenting to WORKWELL processing your personal data for the purposes outlined. You can withdraw consent at any time by completing the online form GDPR Checklist or by phoning +44 (0) 161 295 0211 or e-mailing workwelldigital@salford.ac.uk. Please see last section for full contact details.