Privacy Guidelines
HOOPP takes the privacy of its members and pensioners very seriously. When you enrol as a HOOPP member and at any other time HOOPP collects your personal information, rest assured that HOOPP does its very best to ensure your personal information is collected, used and disclosed only for the purpose of administering the Plan – primarily, administering your pension benefits and, after retirement, paying your pension.
Examples of the personal information which HOOPP collects, uses and, where necessary, discloses for purposes of administering member benefits and the Plan generally includes the member's:
- date of birth and age
- home addresses
- social insurance number
- beneficiary information
- earnings
- health information (but only where an application has been made for disability benefits)
When you enrol, you will receive a HOOPP Member Privacy and Disclosure Form that needs to be signed and returned to HOOPP to complete your enrolment. This form includes a privacy statement. By signing the form, you agree that HOOPP may collect, use and disclose your personal information, but only as required to administer your pension benefits and the HOOPP Plan and, after retirement, to pay your pension.
Permitted disclosures by HOOPP may include making certain information available to the Plan's auditors, actuaries and its other professional advisors and service providers for the purposes of their work in supporting the administration of the Plan; and, to its bank in order to pay pensions. HOOPP might also be requested or required to disclose your personal information to pension regulators.
HOOPP's long-term horizon and outlook means it must retain for an indefinite period its members' personal information (including any health information collected in connection with a member's disability benefit application).
If you have a concern about how HOOPP has handled your personal information, you can write the Privacy Officer c/o HOOPP, 1 Toronto St., Suite 1400, Toronto, ON, M5C 3B2. Alternatively, you can e-mail our privacy address – privacy@hoopp.com. You can also fax us at 416-369-0225.
FAQs on handling personal information
How does HOOPP ensure personal information is protected?
HOOPP's trustees, officers, staff and consultants are responsible for keeping the personal and health information of HOOPP members private. Where third parties are involved, HOOPP ensures its contractual agreements are appropriate to assure the security of members' and pensioners' personal and health information.
When does HOOPP collect personal information?
You might provide personal information to HOOPP directly or through your employer. Through its participating employers, HOOPP collects personal information beginning at enrolment, throughout the period of a member's HOOPP membership and at retirement. Some of the personal information HOOPP collects from you will be used at least once a year to provide you with your annual statement. Your personal information will also be used to determine benefit options and entitlements under HOOPP, when you inquire about those options and entitlements. At retirement, further personal information is collected in order to pay your HOOPP pension.
What is HOOPP doing to make sure my personal information goes no further?
HOOPP has implemented various security measures to help prevent unauthorized processing or disclosure of personal information and to prevent accidental loss, destruction, or damage to your personal information. HOOPP secures its premises and electronic systems. All HOOPP employees are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any personal information they handle in the course of performing their duties. Consultants and other third-party service providers working for HOOPP are contractually bound to abide by privacy requirements.
Can members review the personal information that HOOPP has on file for them?
Yes. By writing to HOOPP at 1 Toronto St., Suite 1400, Toronto, ON M5C 3B2 or sending a fax to HOOPP at 416-369-0225, members may request access to their personal information. Since it is necessary for you to quote your social insurance number when making your request, HOOPP strongly recommends you exercise caution in transmitting your request to us.
What does HOOPP do with personal information about Plan members?
HOOPP retains personal and health information to administer and calculate your entitlements. Sometimes, personal information may be used by HOOPP for broader Plan administration purposes. HOOPP will retain member information indefinitely because of its long-term horizon and outlook.
If a member wants to know why a particular piece of information is being collected, who should they ask?
In most cases, your employer will be able to answer the question. However, if your employer is not able to answer or you wish to contact HOOPP directly, the next point of contact is HOOPP's Client Services department.
