Privacy Policy
This Policy was last reviewed and updated on: [21 July 2023]
Introduction
This Privacy Policy applies to hitchVA Pty Ltd, hitchVA Pte Ltd, NTI Life Coaching Services, a leading provider of outsourced virtual talent solutions. Our services allow clients to hire skilled virtual talents from a diverse global pool, who perform their tasks remotely. This document outlines how we manage and disclose your personal information, safeguards your privacy, and maintains compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) which are contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act). We acknowledge that protecting your privacy is crucial, and as such, we comply with both the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) and Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (“PDPA”), alongside our adherence to the Australian privacy laws. This means that no matter where you are located, be it within Australia, Singapore, or the European Union, we ensure a high standard of data protection and privacy.
1. What is personal information?
Within the context of hitchVA Pty Ltd, hitchVA Pte Ltd, NTI Life Coaching Services personal information is any information or an opinion, in any form, about an identified individual or an individual who is reasonably identifiable. Examples of personal information include, but are not limited to, an individual’s name, address, contact details, employment details, and information regarding interactions and transactions with us.
2. What personal information do we collect?
In providing our services, we collect personal information necessary for us to provide and manage our services, communicate with you, and conduct our business operations. This may include your name, address, email, phone number, business details, payment information, details of your interactions with us, and any other information necessary for us to provide our services.
3. How do we collect your personal information?
We collect personal information directly from you wherever practical. This can occur when you fill out forms, communicate with us (including via email, phone, or through our website), when you create an account with us, when you use or enquire about our services, or when you provide feedback or testimonials.
4. Collecting personal information from third parties
In certain circumstances, hitchVA Pty Ltd, hitchVA Pte Ltd, NTI Life Coaching Services may also collect personal information from third parties where it is unreasonable or impracticable to collect it from you directly. These sources may include public databases, social media platforms, referrals, marketing, and research companies, and third parties with whom we exchange information for credit or fraud risk purposes.
5. How do we use your personal information?
We use the personal information we collect to provide, manage, and improve our services, to communicate with you, to maintain our business records, to research and develop our services, to conduct marketing activities, to comply with our legal obligations, and to manage and resolve any legal or commercial complaints and issues.
6. Disclosure of personal information to third parties
At hitchVA Pty Ltd, hitchVA Pty Ltd, hitchVA Pte Ltd, NTI Life Coaching Services, we may need to disclose your personal information to third parties in the performance and administration of our business or as required by law. This can include our service providers, contractors, or government bodies. We also disclose client contact details to our virtual talents as necessary to provide our services. All our virtual talents, under hitchVA Pty Ltd, hitchVA Pte Ltd, NTI Life Coaching Services sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to maintain the confidentiality of all the client information they receive.
We require all third parties, including our outsourced talents under us, to respect the security of your personal information and to treat it in accordance with the law. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes and only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.
7. Transfer of personal information overseas
Given the nature of our services, your personal information may be disclosed to overseas entities as some of our virtual talents may be based in the Philippines. We ensure that any such international transfers are made subject to appropriate and suitable safeguards as required by the Australian Privacy Principles or other relevant laws. These measures typically include a review of the privacy standards of the foreign entity and the execution of a contract with that entity to keep your personal information confidential and secure under the banner of hitchVA Pty Ltd, hitchVA Pte Ltd, NTI Life Coaching Services.
8. How do we protect your personal information?
At hitchVA Pty Ltd, hitchVA Pte Ltd, NTI Life Coaching Services, we are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. We use a variety of security measures to protect your personal information, including secure servers, firewalls, and encryption of data. We regularly review these measures to ensure the ongoing security of your information.
In addition to our security systems, our staff members have undergone comprehensive training on Data Privacy Protection conducted from December 5-9, 2022, by the Department of Information and Communications Technology Region VII, in the Philippines. This training empowers our team with the necessary knowledge and skills to handle your personal information responsibly and in accordance with the relevant privacy laws.
Please be aware that while we strive to ensure the integrity and security of our network and systems, no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed as completely secure. Therefore, we cannot warrant the security of any information you transmit to us and you do so at your own risk.
9. Online activity
Our website uses cookies to enhance user experience and collect data about web traffic for statistical analysis. We also use your personal information to communicate with you about our services that we think may interest you unless you opt-out of this communication.
Cookies
Our website uses cookies, which are small data files stored on your device, to improve your user experience, enable certain functionality, and help us understand how our website is being used. For instance, cookies may remember your preference settings, collect information about your device, or track which pages you visit while on our site. Cookies can be “persistent” or “session” cookies: persistent cookies remain on your device when you go offline, while session cookies are deleted as soon as you close your web browser.
Website Analytics
We also use website analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, to collect data about how our website is used. This data includes metrics such as how long you spend on the site, the pages you visit, your geographic location, and the path you took to reach our site. This information helps us understand our users’ needs and optimize our site’s functionality and user experience. None of this information can be used to identify you individually and it is all aggregated for statistical purposes.
Direct Marketing
We may use your personal information to send you promotional materials and information about our services, events, and special deals that we believe may be of interest to you. This may occur through various channels such as email, WhatsApp messaging, mail, or online advertising. If you do not wish to receive these direct marketing communications, you will have the opportunity to opt-out by clicking on the unsubscribe link in any email, or by contacting us using the details below. Please note that even if you opt-out of receiving marketing communications, we may still send you important administrative messages from which you cannot opt-out.
10. Retention of Personal Information
hitchVA Pty Ltd, hitchVA Pte Ltd, NTI Life Coaching Services retain your personal information for the period necessary to fulfill the various purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. These purposes can include satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements, or resolving disputes. We take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify personal information if it is no longer needed.
In line with our commitment to ensuring your privacy, we adhere to a data minimization principle. This means we only collect the personal information that we need for specific, clear, and legitimate purposes. Once we have fulfilled these purposes or you no longer use our services, we will hold your personal data for a maximum period of 24 months.
After this period, we will securely erase or de-identify your personal information in accordance with our data disposal policies and applicable laws, unless the data must be retained to comply with any legal, tax, or accounting requirements.
Please note that even after you stop using our services, we may still be required to keep certain pieces of information for record-keeping purposes and to complete any transactions that you initiated prior to your request.
11. How to Access and Correct Your Personal Information
You have the right to access and correct your personal information held by hitchVA Pty Ltd, hitchVA Pte Ltd, NTI Life Coaching Services. You can update your details directly through your account on our website or by contacting us directly. If you wish to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you or believe that any information we hold on you is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading, please email us at the contact details provided below. We aim to respond to all requests for access and correction within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with the law.
12. Links to Third Party Sites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including social media platforms, payment gateways, and other service providers. These links are provided for your convenience and are not under the control of hitchVA Pty Ltd, hitchVA Pte Ltd, NTI Life Coaching Services. These third-party websites may have their own privacy policies and we recommend that you review these policies. We are not responsible or liable for the privacy practices of these third-party websites.
13. Inquiries and Complaints
We place great importance on your privacy and the trust you place in us. If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our data practices, or if you believe that your privacy has been breached, we encourage you to contact us directly.
When you reach out, please provide comprehensive details about the incident so we can thoroughly investigate your concern. Rest assured, we will treat your complaint with the utmost confidentiality. Our team is dedicated to investigating and addressing your concerns as promptly and thoroughly as possible.
Upon receipt of your complaint, we will confirm its receipt, conduct an investigation, and provide you with our response. We aim to resolve any complaints at the earliest possible opportunity, ensuring that we contact you and your complaint is resolved within a reasonable timeframe. This is always in accordance with the time requirements specified by the Privacy Act, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and/or the Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (“PDPA”), as applicable.
Our commitment to you is to resolve all matters in a fair, respectful, and efficient manner. Your privacy is of paramount importance to us, and we appreciate your patience and cooperation as we strive to address and resolve your complaint.
14. If I am based in the EU, what are my Legal Rights under the GDPR?
If you are based in the European Union, you have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in relation to your personal data:
Right of Access: You have the right to request access to your personal data that we process.
Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that your personal data is corrected if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete.
Right to Erasure (‘Right to be Forgotten’): You have the right to request the deletion or removal of your personal data where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing.
Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to ‘block’ or suppress the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
Right to Data Portability: You have the right to obtain and reuse your personal data for your own purposes across different services.
Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
Rights Related to Automated Decision Making including Profiling: You have the right not to be subject to a decision when it’s based on automatic processing, including profiling, if it produces a legal effect or similarly significantly affects you.
We are committed to honouring these rights. If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in this Privacy Policy. We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data or to exercise any of your other rights. This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it.
15. How to Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns or comments about this Privacy Policy or our practices, please contact our Privacy Officer at:
Business addresses:
Australia: Modbury SA 5092
Singapore: 1 Paya Lebar Link #04-01 Singapore, Singapore 408533
Email: kate@hitchva.com
We are committed to resolving any issues or concerns in a timely, confidential, and effective manner. We encourage you to revisit this page periodically to stay aware of any changes to this policy, as we may update it from time to time.
