Privacy

PVL recognises and endorses the absolute need for confidentiality and privacy for both client and applicant.  No enquiry is ever undertaken without the informed knowledge and written consent of the candidate.

PVL abides by (and exceeds) all the provisions of the Privacy Act 2020 and accompanying Information Privacy Principles.  Information collected about an applicant is used solely for the purpose of assessing their suitability for the position under consideration,  and is shared only with the client who has asked us to verify the background of that individual, and no one else.

All information is stored securely and candidates may contact us and request, free of charge, a copy of the information we have collected. 

The only information we will not release is information which falls within Principal Six of the Information Privacy Principles. That is, information which is evaluative and most commonly includes personal comments and opinions provided by your nominated referees or employers, which will have been given to us on an “in-confidence” basis; and also the written assessment we prepare for our client.

If we discover that any of the information we collect is inaccurate, we will advise the candidate and assist them in having it corrected. 

All information we have collected about a candidate is destroyed six months after the completion of our assessment unless the employer requests an update or asks to be reminded that a specific time period has elapsed.  This is because we provide our clients with the option of taking advantage of our “Due Diligence" service.  This service is offered because a verification captures a position in time and updating the veracity of their staff can be a wise investment on the part of an employer. Written informed consent from the candidate is required if an employer wishes to use the Due Diligence service.

Unlike other pre employment screening providers, we do not retain candidate information for the purpose of building a database of names for later use as a marketing tool, or for disclosure to a subsequent employer.

Our Candidate Consent form is explicit in identifying who we contact (and why). Unlike other providers, we do not use "catch-all' wording in our consent form in which a candidate is forced to sign away their right to privacy by consenting to what are surreptitious and unacceptable enquires into their background.

This is why PVL is one of the few background screening providers never to have been the subject of a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner, or the Human Rights Commission, or have been the subject of adverse reporting by the news media.

When a background screening provider goes too far with its enquires, or gets it wrong; it is the client (the employer) who is held responsible because the provider is working as their agent. When looking for a background screening provider be sure to ask if they have ever been the subject of any complaint, and get it in writing.

Background screening has the potential to be a worrisome time for candidates and PVL encourages those with concerns or questions to contact us directly.  We will address their issues in a prompt and confidential manner.