Privacy Policy

Introduction

This Privacy Notice describes PSPP Corporation’s privacy policies and practices regarding its collection, use and disclosure of your personal data and sets forth your privacy rights. We recognize that information privacy is an ongoing responsibility, and so we will from time to time update this Privacy Notice as we undertake new personal data practices or adopt new privacy policies.

You can scroll down to read the Privacy Notice or use the links below to navigate to specific sections.

Accountability

PSPP Corporation, in association with its pension benefit service provider Alberta Pensions Services Corporation (APS) are both committed to respecting the personal privacy of pension plan members by protecting the personal and financial information entrusted to us by providing responsive and focused member services including maintenance of this website. PSPP Corporation and APS have a Privacy Officer who is responsible for overall privacy governance including the importance of confidentiality and maintaining the privacy and security of your personal information. That commitment is fundamental to the way we do business.

Personal Information Collection Notice

Personal information collected within this website and by the PSPP Corporation is collected under the authority of section 40 of Schedule 2 of the Alberta Joint Governance of Public Sector Pension Plans Act for pension administration and may be used for website improvement, quality assurance surveys and voluntary focus groups. Social insurance numbers will be used for Canada Revenue Agency and identification purposes. If you have any questions regarding the collection of this information, contact the PSPP Member Services Centre at 1-877-453-1PSP (1777), or write to: 5103 Windermere Blvd. SW, Edmonton, AB T6W 0S9

What Information We Collect (Process)

PSPP Corporation collects information provided by you and your employer. In general, we collect and use information about you for pension administration purposes, to deliver member and pensioner (hereafter called “member”) benefits, to improve your member experience, and to keep you informed about your specific pension (e.g., member annual statements).

This website also collects information about the device you use to access our website, such as operating system, screen resolution, internet browser type and version, the webpage address from which you arrived, the date and time you accessed this website and the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your device to enhance security measures and protect your data. Once logged in to the site, your member identifier, age, and membership status is collected to improve the website’s functionality, meet our members’ needs and measure the effectiveness of our services.

Does this website use cookies?

Like many other websites, we collect information about our users’ utilization and navigation of our website. This website uses simple text files, called ‘cookies’, to identify visitors who access this website and tracks their use. This information helps us to design our website to better suit our users’ needs. When you access this website, cookies are created and temporarily placed on your computer. The cookie stores basic information about you and your use of this website. PSPP Corporation retains some of the information stored by the cookie, but only for the purposes of tracking website usage.

The cookies help gather statistical data such as the average time spent on a specific webpage. This kind of information provides us with insight on how to improve the design, content, and navigation of our website.

PSPP Corporation may use cookies as part of the functionality and security of a particular service. These cookies may include an encrypted persistent cookie installed on your device that contains information to help us verify you as our client and to help block unauthorized attempts to access your information through this website.

This information is necessary to assist PSPP Corporation in resolving any access problems that may arise. It is also necessary to monitor website usage and identify any unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage.

What do we use the IP Address for?

We may also use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server and to administer our website, analyze trends, track visitor movements around the website, and gather broad demographic information that assists us in identifying visitor preferences.

Does PSPP Corporation collect information about physical location?

PSPP Corporation automatically collects information about your device’s approximate physical location for the purpose of tracking website use by general geographic region.

Website client registration and log-in

In order to register for access to this secure website: you will be asked to provide personal identifying information, which may include: your name, e-mail address, Member Identifier number, date of birth, employer name, pension payment amount and the last four digits of your Social Insurance Number. You will create a login name and password and you will be asked to choose security questions and provide answers.

In order to log in to this secure website, you will be asked to provide personal identifying information, such as your login name, along with a password, and the answers to the security questions you previously provided.

It is up to you whether you wish to provide such personal information for these purposes. If you do not, you will not be able to register or login for access to this website and you will have to contact us by telephone, fax, in-person or through regular mail.

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal and financial information for the purposes consistent with managing your pension, for example including but not limited to:

  • Verifying your identity;
  • Provide you with requested services;
  • Provide information to you about your benefit, and any other information about your pension;
  • Respond to any special needs or inquiries you may have;
  • For internal quality assurance purposes, website improvement, voluntary focus groups and member engagement;
  • Manage our risks and operations;
  • Meet regulatory and legal requirements; and
  • Use your Social Insurance Number (SIN) for income tax-related purposes as required by the Canada Revenue Agency.

Sharing Your Information

Our employees

PSPP Corporation adheres to the requirements of provincial privacy legislation. Access to your information is restricted to employees who have a legitimate business purpose for accessing it.

Unauthorized access to and/or disclosure of member and pensioner information by an employee of PSPP Corporation is strictly prohibited. All employees are required to maintain the confidentiality of member information at all times and failing to do so will result in appropriate disciplinary measures, which may include dismissal.

Outside service suppliers

PSPP Corporation shares information with APS who is the designated benefit service provider for your pension. APS is subject to and adheres to the requirements of the Alberta Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

We may use service providers to perform specialized services on our behalf. Our service providers may at times be responsible for processing or handling personal information. They are provided only the information necessary to perform these services. In addition, they are contractually obligated to protect the information in a manner that is consistent with Alberta privacy legislation, our privacy policies and security practices. Where possible, PSPP Corporation keeps all member data in Canada. There may be some cases where personal information is stored outside of Canada. To obtain specifics, please contact privacy@apsc.ca.

Other third parties

We are committed to keeping your personal information confidential. We do not sell or rent your personal information and will only share it as permitted or required by law, to comply with laws, regulations, subpoena(s) or court order(s).

How We Protect You

Safeguarding your information

We maintain physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to help protect the privacy of data and personally identifiable information you transmit through this website. We update and test our security technology on an ongoing basis. We restrict access to your personally identifiable information to those employees who need to know that information to provide benefits or services to you. We commit to taking appropriate disciplinary measures to enforce our employees’ privacy responsibilities.

Keeping Your Information Accurate

You have the right to request the correction of personal data held about you if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete.

We do our utmost to ensure that the information we have about you is accurate and complete. As we make decisions based on the information that we have, we encourage you to help us keep your information current. If you can update the incorrect information yourself (e.g., address, beneficiaries, bank account), you should do so. If you require additional assistance, please inform us that you are challenging the accuracy of your data and want it corrected. You should:

  • state clearly what you believe is inaccurate or incomplete,
  • explain how it should be corrected, and
  • where available, provide evidence of the inaccuracies.

Your Right to Access Your Personal Information

In the normal course of business, you receive periodic access to information in the form of annual statements. This information is routinely available to you through mailings and/or this website.

You may request a copy of your pension file at any time, by making your request in writing through Secure Messages in Your Pension Plan (YPP). Depending on the information you seek, there may be costs associated with your request. To avoid delays in obtaining your information, please provide sufficient detail to permit us to identify you and the specific information that you are requesting.

Please note that there may be instances where access may be restricted as permitted or required by privacy legislation. Examples may include information that is subject to legal privilege, information containing confidential commercial information, and information relating to a third party. If applicable, we will advise you of the reasons for restricting access subject to any legal or regulatory limitations.

Limitation of Liability

In the following paragraph, the term ‘Administration’ means PSPP Corporation, APS, His Majesty the King in right of the Province of Alberta (as represented by the President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance), and any of their respective directors, officers, employees, and agents.

Although extensive precautions have been taken to provide a secure internet environment, the Administration cannot guarantee the privacy or security of information that is sent or received using this website. The Administration will not be liable for any damages, losses, costs, or expenses, including, without limitation, direct, special, incidental, punitive or consequential damages, incurred by any person as a result of, or in any way connected with, any person’s use of this website.

Inapplicability of Privacy Notices/Statements of Any Linked Websites or Other Third Parties

This Privacy Notice only addresses PSPP Corporation’s use and disclosure of your personally identifiable information. As this website may contain links to other websites, please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other websites, and we are not liable for their misuse of personally identifiable information. We encourage you to be aware that when you go to another website you should carefully read its privacy statement.

Privacy Contact Information

For more information about any of the policies described above, please contact us:

By e-mail: privacy@apsc.ca

Updated September 2024