1. Introduction

Employee Happiness Awards South Africa (“we”, “our”, “us”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all organisations and individuals who participate in the Awards. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, store, use, share, and safeguard the data submitted through our website and the nomination system.

2. Data We Collect

When you submit a nomination, we collect:

• Organisation details
• Contact information
• Case studies, internal data, and supporting evidence
• Survey responses
• Any documents submitted voluntarily

3. Purpose of Data Collection

We collect this data solely to:

• Review nominations and conduct the judging process
• Verify the authenticity of submissions
• Communicate with applicants regarding their participation
• (Only with consent) Use submitted materials for media, communication, and research purposes

4. Data Storage & Security

• All nomination data is stored on secure, access-controlled servers.
• Access is restricted only to authorized members of the Employee Happiness Awards team and the appointed jury.
• We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect data from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or disclosure.

5. Data Retention & Deletion

• Unless consent is provided for extended use, all nomination-related data is permanently deleted within three (3) months after the Awards cycle concludes.
• Data retained for research purposes (only with consent) will be anonymized and stripped of all identifying information.
• We do not sell, rent, trade, or otherwise transfer submitted data to any external parties.

6. Data Sharing

We do not share nomination data with any third parties except:

• Authorized jury members for evaluation
• Service providers involved in secure hosting or storage (who are bound by confidentiality obligations)

We never share or publish proprietary or sensitive information without explicit consent.

7. Optional Consents During Nomination

a. Media & Communications Consent

With your consent, we may use your organisation's initiative title and case study for:

• Award-related media articles
• Social media posts
• Communications by Employee Happiness Awards South Africa and its media affiliates, including Employee Happiness Daily
• You may opt out at any time by contacting us.

b. Data & Research Consent

With your consent, anonymized data (without any identifiable elements) may be used for:

• Research studies
• Benchmark reports
• Programme development and insights

No identifiable company information will ever be used without explicit written approval.

8. Confidentiality When No Consent Is Provided

If you do not opt in to any optional consent, we guarantee that your data:

• Will be used only for internal evaluation
• Will not be used for any media, communication, or research-related purpose
• Will not be shared with any external party
• Will be deleted permanently within three (3) months after the Awards cycle

9. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Request access to your data
• Request correction or deletion
• Withdraw consent at any time
• Ask for clarification on how your data is used

10. Contact Us

For any questions regarding privacy or data protection, please contact:

Email: aruna@eventyst.com

Phone: +971569925348