Job Applicant Privacy Notice

Job Applicant Privacy Notice

Bill Optical Limited trading as Bill Opticians

Last updated: 12 August 2026

Introduction

Bill Optical Limited, trading as Bill Opticians (“Bill Opticians”, “we”, “us” or “our”), is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information.

This privacy notice explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information about you when you apply for employment or other work with Bill Opticians. It also explains your rights under data protection law.

Bill Optical Limited is the data controller for the personal information described in this notice.

This notice applies to applicants for employment and, where relevant, individuals applying for other roles or work with us.

Information we collect about you

During the recruitment process, we may collect and process information including:

• your name, address and contact details, including telephone number and email address;
• information contained in your CV, application form or covering letter;
• details of your qualifications, professional registrations, skills, experience and employment history;
• information about your current or previous employment;
• salary or remuneration information where relevant;
• information provided during interviews and other assessments;
• interview notes and recruitment decisions;
• information about your right to work in the UK;
• professional registration and regulatory information where relevant to the role;
• references and information supplied by previous employers or referees;
• information required for pre-employment checks;
• driving licence information where driving is relevant to the role; and
• any other information you choose to provide as part of your application.

For certain roles, we may also process more sensitive information, known as special category personal data, including:

• health or medical information where necessary, for example to consider reasonable adjustments or occupational health requirements;
• information relating to disability or reasonable adjustments;
• racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs or other equality-monitoring information where this is lawfully collected; and
• other special category information where it is necessary and lawful for us to process it.

Where appropriate to the role and permitted by law, we may also process information relating to criminal convictions and offences, including information obtained through Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.

We will only request information that is relevant and proportionate to the recruitment process and the role for which you are being considered.

How we collect your information

We normally collect personal information directly from you through:

• applications submitted through NHS Jobs or other recruitment websites;
• the Bill Opticians website;
• application forms;
• CVs and covering letters;
• email, telephone or other correspondence;
• interviews and assessments; and
• information you provide during pre-employment checks.

We may also obtain information from third parties, including:

• NHS Jobs and other recruitment platforms;
• recruitment agencies;
• referees and previous employers;
• professional and regulatory bodies;
• the Disclosure and Barring Service, where appropriate;
• occupational health providers, where appropriate; and
• organisations involved in verifying qualifications, identity or your right to work.

Why we use your personal information

We may use your information to:

• assess your suitability for a role;
• communicate with you about your application;
• arrange and conduct interviews and assessments;
• verify your identity, qualifications, experience and professional registration;
• obtain references;
• undertake appropriate pre-employment checks;
• verify your right to work in the UK;
• determine whether reasonable adjustments are required during recruitment;
• make decisions about recruitment and appointment;
• prepare an offer of employment and employment contract;
• comply with our legal, regulatory and professional obligations;
• maintain appropriate recruitment records; and
• establish, exercise or defend legal claims where necessary.

Our lawful basis for processing

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, we may process your information because:

• processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into an employment contract;
• processing is necessary for us to comply with a legal obligation; or
• processing is necessary for our legitimate interests in recruiting and selecting suitable staff and managing our organisation, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.

Where we process special category personal information, we will only do so where an additional lawful condition applies, including where processing is necessary for us to carry out our obligations and exercise our rights in connection with employment or for another purpose permitted by data protection law.

Where criminal offence information is processed, we will only do so where permitted by law and with appropriate safeguards.

We do not generally rely on consent as the principal lawful basis for information required to assess your application.

If you do not provide information

You are not obliged to provide all information we request. However, if you do not provide information necessary for us to assess your application or comply with our legal or regulatory obligations, we may be unable to progress your application or offer you employment.

Who we may share your information with

Where necessary and appropriate, we may share your information with:

• directors, managers and employees involved in recruitment;
• HR, payroll or administrative providers;
• recruitment agencies and recruitment platforms;
• NHS Jobs where you apply through that service;
• professional and regulatory bodies;
• referees and previous employers;
• occupational health providers;
• the Disclosure and Barring Service or organisations facilitating DBS checks;
• IT and systems providers acting on our behalf;
• professional advisers, including legal advisers; and
• government, regulatory or law-enforcement bodies where disclosure is required by law.

Organisations processing information on our behalf are required to handle it securely and only for appropriate purposes.

We do not sell applicant information or provide it to third parties for their own marketing purposes.

How long we keep your information

If your application is unsuccessful, we will normally retain your recruitment information for six months after the recruitment process has concluded.

We may retain information for longer where there is a legitimate and lawful reason to do so, for example in connection with a legal claim.

If we wish to retain your details for longer to consider you for future vacancies, we will tell you and, where appropriate, seek your agreement.

If your application is successful, relevant information collected during recruitment will become part of your employment record and will be retained in accordance with our employee data-retention requirements and legal obligations.

Information that is no longer required will be securely deleted or destroyed.

Security of your information

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure or destruction.

Access to recruitment information is restricted to people who have a legitimate need to access it.

Automated decision-making

We do not normally make recruitment decisions based solely on automated processing without human involvement.

If this changes for a particular recruitment process, we will provide appropriate information about that processing and your rights.

Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• request access to personal information we hold about you;
• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances;
• ask us to restrict the processing of your information;
• object to certain types of processing;
• request the transfer of information to you or another organisation where the right to data portability applies; and
• withdraw consent where we are relying specifically on consent for a particular processing activity.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to exemptions or other legal requirements.

You will not normally have to pay a fee to exercise your data protection rights.

Contacting us

If you have any questions about this privacy notice, how we use your personal information or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact Bill Optical Limited using the contact details provided on the Bill Opticians website.

Please state that your enquiry relates to data protection or recruitment privacy.

Complaints

We would appreciate the opportunity to address any concerns you have about our use of your personal information.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent regulator for data protection.

Further information is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Changes to this notice

We may update this Job Applicant Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in our recruitment processes, legal requirements or data protection guidance.

The latest version will be published on the Bill Opticians website.

Last updated: 12 August 2026