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Subsidy Schemes Management System

Privacy Policy and Personal Data Protection

The Department of Labor implements a privacy policy in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 27, 2016, on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and in accordance with the provisions of the harmonisation law on the Protection of Natural Persons with regard to the Processing of Personal Data and the Free Movement of such Data Law of 2018 (L. 125(I)/2018). You should be aware that the protection provided by the above European Regulation and our domestic legislation applies only to natural persons and not to legal persons.

The purpose of this policy is to inform you about how the Department of Labor collects and processes personal data, including data that may be collected when you visit its website, when submitting various applications and/or using the services it offers, when contacting its staff and receiving service from them, when submitting a complaint/report, and when reporting a problem with its website.

How to contact the Department of Labor

The Department of Labor is located at 9 Klemens Street, 1061 Nicosia. Telephone (+357)22400803, fax (+357)22400809.

The Department of Labor has appointed a Data Protection Officer who is responsible for matters relating to data protection and this statement.

For any relevant issues, you can contact us by email at director@dl.mlsi.gov.cy or by writing to the Department of Labor, 1480 Nicosia.

The information collected

Personal data or information means any information relating to an identified individual or an individual who can be identified on the basis of that information. In other words, personal data or information is any information that can lead to a specific individual or information that can be linked to an individual. In such cases, the individual is referred to as the 'data subject.'

In the course of its activities, the Labor Department may collect and process the following personal data or information:

  • Identity and contact details, which may include, where applicable, name, address, telephone number, date of birth, marital status, passport number, employment history, educational, academic, and professional details, as well as other personal data relating to access to the services of the Department of Labor.
  • Professional information, including information provided during a contractual relationship between individuals, organizations, or companies and the Department of Labor, or provided on a voluntary basis.
  • Electronic profiles and user data for electronic information and search, including passwords, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, technical data regarding the type of browser and device used to access the website, the search platform, etc., which are collected when visiting the Department of Labor website.
  • Sensitive personal data that may be requested and processed for the purposes of the work and proper functioning of the Labor Department, such as information on ethnic and racial origin, religious beliefs, trade union activity, information on physical or mental health issues, criminal offenses, and genetic or biometric data.

Personal data may be collected in the following cases:

  • When an individual or organisation seeks or uses the services of the Labour Department or visits its website, when an individual or organisation offers to provide or provides services to the Labour Department,
  • When anyone contacts the Department of Labor either by telephone, e-mail or other electronic means, or in writing, or when providing information containing personal data directly to the Department of Labor, including verbal conversations with staff,
  • When an individual or organisation conducts online research, browse data, complete an online application, submit a request, or in any way connect to the Department of Labor website or other electronic platform.

The use and processing of personal data and information by the Grant Scheme Management Agency of the Department of Labor

Personal data or information may be processed by the Management Body only for one of the following purposes:

  • for the purpose of processing applications from businesses, natural or legal persons, for employment through the Grant Schemes,
  • for the purposes of complying with legislative provisions and the civil service obligations of staff, including record keeping, conducting compliance checks, video and audio recording,
  • to protect the security of telecommunications and other electronic systems of the Department of Labor and to detect and identify potential risks and threats from fraud or other illegal or malicious acts,
  • for the purposes of exercising or defending legal rights or complying with court orders; and
  • for any other purpose related to or ancillary to any of the above or for any other purpose for which personal data was transferred to the Department of Labor.

The processing of personal data is possible for any of the above purposes or may be based on one of the following legal bases:

  • When processing is necessary to satisfy the request of the data subject or to fulfill a contractual obligation with a private individual or organization.
  • For the purposes of complying with legal obligations, as well as for the purposes of keeping records relating to compliance procedures or for keeping records of fees and taxes.
  • When the data subject has expressly consented to the processing of information concerning him or her.
  • To courts, law enforcement authorities, arbitrators, government officials, or other persons when reasonably necessary to establish, exercise, or defend a legal claim or right, or for the purposes of out-of-court dispute resolution.
  • To service providers who are employed or bound by agreement with the Department of Labor to process personal data on behalf of the Department of Labor for any of the reasons mentioned above and only in accordance with the instructions they receive from it.

In particular, the purposes of processing by the Department of Labor

After submitting an application for inclusion in the Department of Labor's Grant Schemes, personal data is processed for the following purposes:

  • Receiving and examining the application of the company/self-employed person, association, or NGO.
  • Receiving and examining the Grant Payment Request.

Data processing and flow

The user is identified via CyLogin and logs into the platform. They then complete the application and upload the required documents. Upon submission of the application, the user receives an email confirming the registration of the application and its tracking number. The applicant will be able to check the status of their application at any time.

During the application review stage, officials from the Department of Labor will liaise with the Social Security Services (YKA) and the Public Employment Service (DYA).

The personal data obtained through these links are as follows:

  • First and last name
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Nationality/Citizenship
  • Passport No.
  • ID card number
  • Social Security No.
  • Address
  • Gender
  • Landline
  • Mobile Fax
  • Fax
  • Email
  • Employer Registration No.
  • Company Name
  • Tax Identification Number (TIN)
  • Company/EU/Association/Club/Foundation Registration No.
  • Field of Activity
  • Date of registration for job search at the local District/Local Employment Offices of the Public Employment Service (PES)
  • Date of commencement of employment
  • Date of termination of employment
  • Information from the YKA confirming that the beneficiary has settled their debts during their participation in the Grant Scheme
  • Information from the YKA on the beneficiary's declared monthly wages during the period covered by the beneficiary's application for payment of the grant

Information obtained from applicants/potential beneficiaries, and after joining the Grant Scheme, from beneficiaries, includes:

  • Certificates proving the beneficiary's eligibility, depending on the target group
  • The bank account number where the calculated grant amount will be deposited

Security and Confidentiality

Method of handling

The Department of Labor makes every effort to use appropriate technical and physical security measures to protect personal data that is transmitted, stored, or otherwise processed by it from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure, access, or leakage. Any service providers to the Department of Labor are selected with due care and are committed to using appropriate protective measures.

In this context, when any person contacts the Department of Labor to obtain information on a matter concerning them, they may be asked to confirm their identity for the purposes of protecting their personal data or information.

Protective measures

The Labor Department uses a variety of security measures, safeguards, and procedures, including the use of firewalls and controlled access, to ensure the effective protection of personal data. Care is taken to continuously evaluate the methods of handling and protecting the information received in order to further enhance its security and confidentiality.

Personal data storage period

The storage time of personal data depends on the nature and data you have provided to the Department of Labor and is subject to the guidelines issued by the Managing Authority (Directorate-General for Development, Ministry of Finance) for Grant Schemes under Thalia 2021-2027.

The storage period for your personal data may be extended in the following cases:

  • When your case is brought before a competent court for any reason.
  • For the reasons and safeguards provided for in the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) in Article 89, i.e. for archiving purposes in the public interest or for scientific or historical research or statistical purposes.

The Department of Labor does not transfer your personal data to a third country or international organization.

However, your personal data may be accessed by other Ministries/Services/ Departments may access your personal data through the Government Information Repository after approval/consent from the Office of the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection, based on specific conditions and for a predetermined period of time. The Government Information Repository operates under an Interconnection License issued by the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection. Currently, the above access is only available for the purposes stated by the Social Security Services and the Welfare Benefits Management Service of the Deputy Ministry of Welfare.

Your personal data may also be accessed through the Internal Market Information System (IMI). The IMI system aims to support administrative cooperation and simplify the procedures required for professionals and service providers to operate in other Member States of the European Union and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA), which is only accessible to authorities with responsibilities related to the recognition of professional qualifications and the provision of services. This system operates in accordance with the above European Regulation.

Your rights as Data Subjects

With regard to your personal data, the European Regulation grants you various rights, the most important of which are the following:

Right of Access

You have the right to request a copy of your personal data processed by the Department of Labor. There are exceptions to this right, as your access may be denied when, for example, the access you request may lead to the disclosure of personal data of third parties (other persons) or when the disclosure of such information is prohibited by law. In any case, you have the right to see the information concerning you that is stored by the Department of Labor. To exercise your right, you must contact the Department of Labor using the contact details provided above.

Right to correct inaccurate and/or complete incomplete personal data

The Department of Labor makes every effort to ensure that all personal data collected and stored for processing purposes is accurate, complete, and up to date. We encourage you to contact us immediately if you find that any file we hold or personal information is inaccurate or has changed.

Right to object

In certain cases and for reasons related to your particular situation, you also have the right to object to the processing of personal data concerning you. To exercise this right, any interested party may contact the Labor Department using the available contact details. The request will be evaluated based on the circumstances and specific conditions surrounding it.

Right to erasure (right to be forgotten)

Each of you has the right to have your personal data collected and stored by the Labor Department deleted when it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected or when, and not exclusively, the processing of personal data had no legal basis.

In cases where the Department of Labor processes your personal data within the scope of its responsibilities under Articles 5 and 6 of the Protection of Individuals with regard to the Processing of Personal Data and on the Free Movement of such DataLaw of 2018 (L. 125(I)/2018), your right and the obligations of the controller are limited to the extent necessary and proportionate to ensure the smooth functioning of the procedures of the Department of Labor and/or the Courts.

Right to withdraw consent

When you are asked to give your consent so that the Department of Labor can process your personal data, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. In this case, the processing that took place before the withdrawal of consent is still considered lawful.

Right to lodge a complaint

Any complaint you may have regarding the use of your personal data by the Department of Labor of the Republic of Cyprus may be submitted to the Data Protection Officer either in writing or by email, with a full description of the circumstances giving rise to the complaint. The Department of Labor assures that all relevant complaints/reports will be thoroughly investigated. Those affected may also contact the Office of the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection at www.dataprotection.gov.cy

If you exercise your right to rectification or erasure or your right to restrict the processing of your personal data, you may ask the Data Controller to inform you to which recipients it has disclosed the rectification or erasure of personal data or the restriction processing of your data.