M & A Investigations recognises the importance of protecting your privacy and personal information. As an Australian company, we are is bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act), including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), which regulates how we collect, use, disclose and store personal information, including sensitive information, and how individuals may access and correct records containing their personal information. We respect your rights to privacy under the Privacy Act and we comply with all the Privacy Act’s requirements in respect of the collection and management of your personal information.
M & A Investigations has undertaken to comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act, 1988, and the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Collection) Act 2012 (Cth) (Act).
M & A Investigations uses your personal information for the legitimate business purpose for which it was disclosed at the time of collection. We lawfully collect personal information that is necessary for our business to provide comprehensive quality services. The information we collect and hold will depend upon the investigation service you request from us and may include information you provide us when you engage our services. This information will include client details such as name, address, telephone and facsimile numbers, email addresses, together with information pertaining to the claimant and their associated claim.
We use this information to:
This information is essential to the provision of our services.
M & A Investigations will take all reasonable steps to protect your personally identifiable information. We use appropriate security procedures and the latest technology to protect the information we hold.
Only staff authorised by the Directors have access to the data file information. Hard copies of information are stored in locked cabinets of commercial-grade steel, in accordance with the requirements set out in Part IV of the Commonwealth of Australia Protective Security Manual.
We are also required to take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify personal information when it is no longer required for a permitted purpose.
We do not disclose personal information to any outside third party organisation, unless we are contracted to do so by our clients. In this case, we make sure that the third party is bound by the same privacy rules we follow. We do not share information with entities outside of Australia.
Information will only be used or disclosed by M & A Investigations as allowed by the Privacy Act 1988, and the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Collection) Act 2012 (Cth) (Act).
You have the right to request access to any personal information we hold about you. You can request this information by contacting the Director of our company. Where we hold information that you are entitled to access, we will respond to your request in a reasonable time and endeavour to provide you with a suitable range of choices as to how access is provided.
If at any time you believe that personal information we hold about you is incorrect, incomplete or inaccurate, then you may request amendment of it and we will either amend the information or make a record of your comment, as we think appropriate.
M & A Investigations endeavours to ensure information held is accurate, complete and up-to-date. Where you believe information held is not accurate, complete or up-to-date, please advise M & A Investigations and every effort will be made to correct the information.
If you have a complaint about how we have collected or handled your personal information, please contact M & A Investigations' Director, who will endeavour in the first instance to deal with your complaint and take any steps necessary to resolve the matter within a week.
We have put in place an effective mechanism and procedure to resolve privacy complaints and enquiries. We will ensure that all complaints and enquiries are dealt with in a reasonably appropriate timeframe so that any decision (if any decision is required to be made) is made expeditiously and in a manner that does not compromise the integrity or quality of any such decision (in respect of a complaint).
If you have a privacy complaint or concern relating to the way that we have handled your personal information, please contact M & A Investigations via email: [email protected] or telephone: 1300 137 812.
If you feel we have not adequately resolved your complaint or concern, you may contact the Australian Information Commissioner at www.oaic.gov.au.
M & A Investigations’ Code of Conduct is a reflection of the way all people who form part of our company should conduct their activities according to scrupulous standards of ethics, fairness and professional and legal obligations.
Our Code underpins the objective of our company to conduct all activities in a manner which is consistent with our values. Our organisation is supported by a documented framework of internal and external expectations and requirements which help us make the right decisions at the right time with every activity we conduct.
M & A Investigations strives to operate to the highest standards of honesty, integrity and fairness in its business operations and dealings with our people, clients and external bodies. To ensure these standards are maintained, we will:
M & A Investigations exercises responsible corporate governance to ensure adherence to laws, regulations and standards. Through our strict compliance system, we ensure that our company, clients and people are protected as comprehensively as possible. To ensure full compliance in the services we provide, we will:
M & A Investigations understand that our clients expect our work to meet the highest professional standards. We take responsibility for our professional conduct and ensure that we bring the appropriate skills and capabilities to all services provided. To ensure we conduct our work to the highest level of professionalism and quality, we will:
The nature of our work gives us access to confidential and personal information. It is our responsibility to ensure the security of all confidential and personal information entrusted to us. To fulfil our privacy and confidentiality obligations, we will:
M & A Investigations is committed to ensure that our people can carry out their work in an environment free from any form of discrimination. It is our responsibility to maintain the highest standards of personal conduct. To do this, we will:
M & A Investigations recognises diversity in our society and embrace a culture based on acceptance and cultural diversity to support the worth, dignity and uniqueness of each person we work with. While conducting our work, we distinguish between cultural needs and individual, personal needs and preferences. To ensure that we are sensitive to, and meet the needs of the diverse people we work with, we will:
M & A Investigations strive to avoid any conflict of interest and will disclose any situation which might constitute a real or apparent conflict of interest. We have robust processes in place to avoid and respond to conflicts of interest and provide a reporting framework which enables employees to disclose and take reasonable steps to avoid any conflicts of interest, real or apparent, relating to their employment. Our responsibility to avoid conflicts of interest means that we must:
M & A Investigations recognises that our reputation for conducting business in an ethical and honest way is a core company value that must be valued and protected.
The purpose of this policy is to establish controls to ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and corruption regulations and to ensure that M & A Investigations conducts business in a socially responsible manner.
This policy applies to all staff, employees and entities working on behalf of M & A Investigations.
M & A Investigations prohibits corruption, bribery and extortion in all forms.
Employees are prohibited from directly or indirectly offering, giving, soliciting or receiving any form of bribe, kickback, payment or anything of value to or from any person or organisation including government agencies, individual government officials, private companies or their employees under any circumstances. Gifts, entertainment or travel must not be given or received as a reward or encouragement for preferential treatment.
M & A Investigations does not participate in party politics. It does not make payments to political parties or individual politicians.
Employees are prohibited from using any funds, assets, resources, time or employees including in-kind contributions of services to make any political contribution, or assist any party or individual politician or candidate.
M & A Investigations does not make charitable donations or sponsorships that could be perceived as bribes or payments to gain an improper business advantage.
M & A Investigations' management takes responsibility and accountability to ensure that as a company we will:
We will not: