Fair Flex for All research - Privacy Information Notice

Data protection legislation and personal data

Data protection legislation determines how, when and why any organisation can process personal data. ‘Personal data’ means any information which can identify someone. ‘Processing’ means any actions performed on personal data, including: collection, storage, alteration or deletion. These laws exist to ensure that your data are managed safely and used responsibly. They also provide you with certain rights in respect of your data and creates a responsibility on your employer, Timewise and the research organisations they work with to provide you with certain information.

This privacy notice sets out the legal basis for processing data in relation to this research project, which is being completed by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES). This includes who will have access to your personal data, how your data will be used, stored and deleted, your legal rights and who you can contact if you have a query or a complaint.

The legal basis for processing personal data

Your employer and Timewise are the data controllers for this research work and IES are data processors. The legal basis under which IES processes personal data and ‘special category data’, such as information about your health and well-being, racial or ethnic origin, is to fulfil Timewise’s legitimate interests to deliver the Fair Flex for All programme 2022-2024.

This legal justification applies to this research, which is an evaluation of the Fair Flex for All project, to understand the impact of flexible working on frontline and site-based workers at Wickes, Sir Robert McAlpine and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. IES are carrying out this work on behalf of your employer, Timewise and funding organisations, Impact on Urban Health and Barclays Life Skills. The study involves IES conducting in-depth interviews and focus groups with staff at Wickes, Sir Robert McAlpine and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust to highlight where agile and flexible working has and has not worked well, why, and the impact this has had. In respect of General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

If you are invited to interview or focus groups your name, email address, job title and employer will be supplied to IES by your organisation. This personal information will only be processed for the purposes of completing this research. Participation in the research is completely voluntary – just because you are contacted, does not mean that you have to take part and you can decline the invitation without having to give a reason.

Who will have access to my personal data?

If you take part in interviews or focus groups arranged by IES or there is a need for follow-up by IES, your contact details will be stored on the IES encrypted server, with access restricted solely to members of the research team at IES. Even after these contacts details have been shared with the research team, you are free to withdraw from the research and can decline to take part in an interview without having to give a reason.

If you agree to take part in a research interview, any information you provide will be reported in an anonymised format – this means we will remove any information that could be used to identify you.

How will my data be treated?

If you are invited and choose to take part in an interview or focus group, the information you give will only be used for purposes of this study. IES will use the data gathered, alongside survey data and data from other sources, to identify key themes and explore issues in a report that will be shared with your employer, the Fair Flex for All project stakeholders. Individuals will not be identified in the report, although anonymous quotes may be featured. The report will be made publicly available on the IES and Timewise websites.

In addition, we will be developing a small number of best practice case studies from our notes. If you are selected and you agree for us to feature your experiences in a case study, you will be given an opportunity to review and revise a draft version before it is published. You will be asked at the end of your session whether you are willing to share your experiences in this way.

Data protection law requires that personal data are kept for no longer than is necessary. The personal data we used to contact you will be securely deleted from the IES systems six months after the project is complete (currently estimated to be December 2024).

Who can I contact if I would like to withdraw my interview or participant data?

You have rights under data protection law to make the following requests the personal data held about you that is being processed for this research, including:

to request access to this data
to amend any incorrect or inaccurate information
to restrict or object to your data being processed
to destroy this data
to move, copy or transfer your data.

You have the right to withdraw the information you have provided as part of the interviews up to the end of March 2024.

If you have taken part in an interview but would like your data withdrawn or have any questions about how your data will be used, please contact the IES research manager, Astrid Allen (astrid.allen@employment-studies.co.uk).

Who can I contact with a complaint?

Further information on the rights available to you is also available from the Information Commissioner’s Office - the independent body responsible for regulating data protection within the UK. They can also deal with any complaints you may have regarding our use of your data:

Tel: 0303 123 1113
Email: casework@ico.org.uk
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF