Privacy Policy – dutch HR bestie

Dutch HR Bestie takes the privacy of clients, website visitors and other contacts seriously.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal data Dutch HR Bestie collects, why it is used, how long it is kept, which service providers may receive it and what rights you have.

1. Who is responsible for your personal data?

Dutch HR Bestie is operated by:

dutchhrbestie
Sole proprietorship registered in the Netherlands
Chamber of Commerce (KvK): 42198113
Email: hi@dutchhrbestie.com

Dutch HR Bestie is the data controller for the personal data described in this Privacy Policy.

Questions or requests relating to privacy can be sent to hi@dutchhrbestie.com.

2. Who this Privacy Policy applies to

This Privacy Policy may apply when you:

visit dutchhrbestie.com;
purchase Get In or Handle;
communicate with Dutch HR Bestie by email;
submit information or documents for a purchased service;
receive service-related emails;
receive permitted marketing communications;
contact Dutch HR Bestie through social media;
provide a testimonial or agree to participate in a client case study; or
otherwise interact with Dutch HR Bestie in a professional or commercial context.

Dutch HR Bestie services are intended for people aged 18 and older.

3. Personal data Dutch HR Bestie may process

The personal data processed depends on how you interact with Dutch HR Bestie.

Purchase and customer information

When you purchase a service, Dutch HR Bestie may process:

your name;
your email address;
the service purchased;
order and transaction information;
payment status;
invoice information;
purchase history;
communications relating to your order; and
information necessary to administer the customer relationship.

Dutch HR Bestie does not store your full payment-card details.

Payments are processed through Stripe.

Get In

For a Get In review, you may provide information contained in:

up to three CVs;
your LinkedIn profile;
up to three cover letters;
up to five vacancies;
your education and employment history;
professional skills and experience;
job-search information;
salary expectations or salary information where relevant;
nationality, work-authorisation or residence information where you choose to provide this because it is relevant to your job search; and
other professional information necessary to answer your request.

Handle

For a Handle review, information may include:

your role and employer;
employment and contractual information;
salary and benefits information;
communications with your manager or HR department;
workplace events and circumstances;
performance or PIP-related information;
sick-leave-related workplace information;
employment offers;
correspondence or other employment-related documents; and
other information reasonably necessary to understand your Dutch workplace situation.

Dutch HR Bestie aims to process only the information necessary to provide the requested service.

4. Sensitive information and health information

Some Handle situations may involve limited information about health.

For example, a client may explain that they are currently on sick leave or may voluntarily mention a health condition where this is necessary to understand the employment context.

Health information is treated as sensitive personal data.

Where limited health information is necessary for a Handle request, Dutch HR Bestie will process this information only after the client has provided explicit consent through the relevant intake process.

You should only provide the minimum health information necessary to explain the HR or workplace situation.

Please do not send:

medical files;
doctors’ letters;
diagnostic reports;
treatment records;
complete medical histories; or
other medical documentation.

You may withdraw consent to the processing of health information. Where that information is necessary to provide the requested Handle service, withdrawal may mean that Dutch HR Bestie is no longer able to complete the service.

5. Information you must not send

Dutch HR Bestie does not need and does not ask clients to provide unnecessarily sensitive information.

Please do not send:

BSN numbers;
copies of passports, identity cards or residence permits;
passwords or login credentials;
bank-login information;
payment-card numbers by email;
medical documentation;
unnecessary information about colleagues or other third parties;
criminal-record or criminal-offence information; or
other sensitive data that is not necessary for the requested service.

Clients are responsible for anonymising or redacting documents before submitting them.

This includes removing unnecessary names, contact details, identification numbers and personal information belonging to other people.

If Dutch HR Bestie receives information that is clearly unnecessary or excessively sensitive, Dutch HR Bestie may ask the client to provide a redacted version and may delete the unnecessary information where reasonably possible.

6. Why Dutch HR Bestie processes personal data

Dutch HR Bestie processes personal data for the following purposes.

Providing Get In or Handle

Data is processed to:

administer your purchase;
understand your request;
review the information and documents you provide;
prepare your personalised report;
communicate with you about your service;
provide the included Handle follow-up where applicable; and
resolve issues concerning delivery.

The primary legal basis is performance of the agreement with you.

Payment and administration

Personal data is processed to:

process and reconcile payments;
create and maintain financial records;
issue or administer invoices;
maintain business records; and
comply with tax and accounting obligations.

The legal bases are performance of the agreement and compliance with legal obligations.

Customer service and follow-up

Dutch HR Bestie may use your name, email address, service history and relevant correspondence to:

answer service questions;
send intake instructions;
remind you if required information has not been provided;
follow up after delivery;
ask whether you would like to provide feedback or a review; and
administer complaints.

Depending on the communication, the legal basis is performance of the agreement or Dutch HR Bestie’s legitimate interest in operating and improving its customer service.

Improving services

Dutch HR Bestie may use recurring, anonymised patterns from client questions to improve:

service design;
internal processes;
frequently asked questions;
educational materials; and
general Dutch HR Bestie content.

Information used for this purpose will not be published in a way that reasonably identifies an individual client.

Marketing to existing clients

Where legally permitted, Dutch HR Bestie may occasionally email existing clients about Dutch HR Bestie’s own similar services.

These communications will be limited and are expected not to exceed approximately six marketing emails per year.

Clients are given an opportunity to opt out and every marketing email contains an easy way to unsubscribe.

Unsubscribing from marketing does not affect essential communications concerning an active or completed order.

Dutch HR Bestie does not sell customer contact details to third parties for marketing.

7. Testimonials and client cases

Dutch HR Bestie will only publish a testimonial linked to a client after obtaining separate permission.

Where permission is given, Dutch HR Bestie may use the client’s first name.

If the client does not agree to use of their first name, the testimonial may only be used anonymously if separately agreed.

Dutch HR Bestie may also ask permission to use an anonymised client case.

Purchasing Get In or Handle does not automatically grant Dutch HR Bestie permission to publish a testimonial, review or identifiable client story.

Consent for testimonials or case studies can be withdrawn for future use by contacting hi@dutchhrbestie.com.

8. Email and document handling

Client documents are normally submitted by replying to the service or intake email.

Dutch HR Bestie’s email is hosted by STRATO and may be accessed through STRATO webmail and Apple Mail.

Documents may temporarily be downloaded to a secured computer in order to perform the requested service.

The computer used for client work is protected with password and biometric security.

Original client documents and downloaded source files are deleted no later than 30 days after completion of the service, unless a longer retention period is required by law or necessary because of an unresolved complaint or dispute.

Where possible, unnecessary email attachments containing source documents are also removed within this period.

Relevant correspondence and the final client report may be retained separately for the period described below.

9. Canva

Canva may be used for the layout and presentation of Dutch HR Bestie reports.

Original CVs, employer correspondence, medical documentation and other source documents are not uploaded to Canva.

Only information reasonably necessary to create the final report is used.

Dutch HR Bestie aims to minimise identifying and sensitive information included in material processed through design tools.

10. Use of AI-assisted tools

Dutch HR Bestie may use AI-assisted tools, including ChatGPT, to support activities such as:

structuring information;
drafting;
editing;
quality checking;
identifying issues for further verification; and
fact-checking or research support.

AI tools do not make final decisions about clients.

Dutch HR Bestie remains responsible for the final professional assessment and determines the conclusions and recommendations provided to the client.

Original client source documents are not uploaded to ChatGPT for this purpose.

Before information from a client matter is used with an AI tool, it is intended to be fully anonymised. This includes removing names, contact details, employer names and other contextual details that could reasonably identify the client or another person.

Sensitive health information and other special-category personal data are not intentionally submitted to ChatGPT.

Dutch HR Bestie treats removal of a name alone as insufficient where the remaining facts could still reasonably identify the person concerned.

11. ActiveCampaign

Dutch HR Bestie uses ActiveCampaign for customer communication and customer relationship management.

ActiveCampaign may contain:

your name;
your email address;
the service you purchased;
customer history;
the text of relevant customer communications;
service status;
marketing preferences; and
records necessary to administer reminders, follow-up emails, review requests and permitted marketing communications.

Source-document attachments are not intentionally stored in ActiveCampaign.

Dutch HR Bestie does not use automated profiling or automated decision-making to determine what professional advice a client receives.

Service emails are not intended to be used for behavioural profiling.

12. Stripe

Stripe is used to process online payments.

Stripe may process information including:

name;
email address;
payment information;
transaction details;
payment status; and
technical information required to prevent fraud and complete the payment.

Dutch HR Bestie does not receive or store your complete card details.

Relevant Stripe transaction information may be shared with or synchronised to Moneybird for accounting purposes.

13. Moneybird and bunq

Dutch HR Bestie uses or intends to use Moneybird for business administration and accounting.

Moneybird may contain information such as:

customer name;
email address;
invoice information;
amounts paid;
transaction references; and
information that Dutch HR Bestie is legally required to maintain for financial administration.

Dutch HR Bestie’s business bank account is held with bunq.

bunq processes financial and transactional information in its role as banking and payment-services provider.

14. Website, hosting and cookies

dutchhrbestie.com is built using WordPress and hosted by STRATO.

The website does not currently use:

Google Analytics;
Meta Pixel;
TikTok Pixel;
Google Ads conversion tracking; or
other advertising analytics selected by Dutch HR Bestie.

Technical cookies or similar technologies may be necessary for the website, security or checkout functionality to operate.

Where consent is legally required for a cookie or similar technology, the website’s cookie-consent functionality will be used.

Dutch HR Bestie does not currently use website analytics to create behavioural profiles of visitors.

15. Pre-checkout information

Before a client is redirected to Stripe, Dutch HR Bestie may collect or record information necessary to:

identify the selected product;
record acceptance of the applicable Terms & Conditions;
record choices concerning the statutory withdrawal period;
record privacy-related consent where necessary; and
connect the purchase with the subsequent order and intake process.

Where explicit consent is required — for example for processing limited health information — this is requested separately and is not bundled into general acceptance of the Terms & Conditions.

16. Social media

Dutch HR Bestie is active as @dutchhrbestie on platforms including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

If you contact Dutch HR Bestie through social media, Dutch HR Bestie may process the information you voluntarily provide in order to respond.

The social-media platform also processes information under its own privacy policy.

Do not send confidential employment documents, medical information, BSN numbers, identity documents or other sensitive information through social-media direct messages.

Dutch HR Bestie may ask you to continue sensitive client communication through the designated email or intake process instead.

Where unnecessary sensitive information is received through social media, Dutch HR Bestie may ask the sender to stop sharing such information and may delete it where reasonably possible.

17. Service providers and recipients

Dutch HR Bestie may share or allow access to personal data only where reasonably necessary for running the service.

Current or intended providers include:

STRATO — website hosting and email;
Stripe — payment processing;
ActiveCampaign — customer communication and CRM;
Moneybird — accounting and administration;
bunq — banking;
Canva — report design and layout;
WordPress and necessary website infrastructure providers.

These providers process information for their respective functions and may have their own legal obligations and privacy terms.

Dutch HR Bestie does not sell personal data.

18. International data transfers

Some technology providers used by Dutch HR Bestie may process or make data accessible from countries outside the European Economic Area.

Where personal data is transferred outside the EEA, Dutch HR Bestie relies on an applicable lawful transfer mechanism where required, such as:

an adequacy decision;
Standard Contractual Clauses; or
another legally recognised safeguard.

Dutch HR Bestie aims to choose established providers that offer appropriate data-protection safeguards.

19. How long information is kept

Dutch HR Bestie applies different retention periods depending on why information is held.

Original client documents

Original CVs, cover letters, employer correspondence and other source materials:

Maximum 30 days after completion of the service, unless temporarily required for an unresolved complaint, dispute or other legal reason.

Final reports and relevant case correspondence

Final Dutch HR Bestie reports and relevant correspondence:

Normally up to 12 months after completion of the service.

This allows reasonable follow-up, customer support and handling of questions relating to the delivered service.

Customer relationship information

Basic information such as:

name;
email address;
product purchased;
purchase date; and
customer history

may normally be retained for up to three years after the client’s last purchase or meaningful interaction.

This information may be retained for customer administration, relevant follow-up and permitted communication.

Marketing preferences

Unsubscribe and suppression information may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to ensure that a person who has opted out is not inadvertently added to marketing communications again.

Financial administration

Information forming part of Dutch HR Bestie’s legally required business and tax administration is retained for the applicable statutory period.

Testimonials

Testimonials or client cases may be kept for as long as the separate permission remains valid and the material remains relevant, subject to applicable legal rights.

After the relevant retention period, information is deleted or anonymised unless Dutch HR Bestie has a legal reason to retain it longer.

20. Security

Dutch HR Bestie takes reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data.

Measures include, where relevant:

password-protected systems;
biometric device security;
limiting the information collected;
using established service providers;
limiting access to client materials;
deleting source documents after the applicable retention period;
anonymising information before using AI-assisted tools; and
avoiding unnecessary processing of sensitive information.

No digital system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

21. Automated decision-making

Dutch HR Bestie does not use solely automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects for clients.

AI tools and email automations may support administrative or drafting processes, but final Get In and Handle conclusions are determined by Dutch HR Bestie.

22. Your privacy rights

Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may have the right to:

ask what personal data Dutch HR Bestie holds about you;
receive access to your personal data;
correct inaccurate information;
request deletion of personal data;
request restriction of processing;
object to certain processing;
receive certain information in a portable format;
withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
object to direct marketing at any time.

Withdrawal of consent does not make earlier lawful processing unlawful.

Some information cannot immediately be deleted where Dutch HR Bestie is legally required to retain it, for example certain financial administration.

Privacy requests can be sent to:

hi@dutchhrbestie.com

Dutch HR Bestie may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request, but will not request more information than reasonably necessary for this purpose.

Dutch HR Bestie will respond within the period required by applicable data-protection law.

23. Marketing opt-out

You can unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time.

Every marketing email will contain an unsubscribe option.

You may also contact hi@dutchhrbestie.com and ask not to receive marketing communications.

Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent Dutch HR Bestie from sending messages that are necessary to administer an order, provide a purchased service, respond to a request or meet legal obligations.

24. Complaints about privacy

If you have a concern about how Dutch HR Bestie handles your personal data, please first contact:

hi@dutchhrbestie.com

Dutch HR Bestie will try to resolve the issue appropriately.

You also have the right to submit a complaint to the Dutch supervisory authority:

Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens

Further information about privacy rights and complaints is available through the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens.

25. Changes to this Privacy Policy

Dutch HR Bestie may update this Privacy Policy where services, systems, legal requirements or data-processing practices change.

The current version will be published on dutchhrbestie.com with the date of the latest update.

Material changes affecting existing clients may also be communicated directly where appropriate.