FAQ
Need a quick answer to one of your Assured Group of Companies questions? Here you go:
Is Assured Group Of Companies GDPR Compliant?
We have a GDPR Champions Project Team working to ensure that we meet our obligations relating to data protection compliance
Assured Group Of Companies GDPR activities are being led by the Project Team together with external subject experts, technical and legal advisors with practical experience in data protection and wider security aspects
From the viewpoint of our customers, we are confident that the security measures that we already have in place are fit for purpose and we do not expect any significant changes as a result of our GDPR compliance
Assured Group of Companies products and services will operate as usual and we will ensure that our customers benefit from our attention to security and data protection
Assured Group of Companies will keep Customers informed of updates to aspects such as privacy notices that refer to the new regulations, as these become available
There is no accredited third-party certification for GDPR at present. This may change in the future – for example, the European Commission may create a “Data Protection Seal”. Assured Group of Companies will keep watch on developments in this area
Where Does Assured Group Of Companies Store Personal Information?
Assured Group Of Companies is based in the EU and our products make use of hosting providers operating in Western Europe
As part of our GDPR compliance activities and as required by the regulations we are updating our analysis of processing activities as part of our continuous review of how personal information is handled across our business operations, products and services
Assured Group Of Companies is a European organisation and it is important that the personal information of our customers and our own people is handled in accordance with GDPR
Our data protection governance arrangements and privacy mindset ensure that our operations are subject to continuous review to maintain alignment with GDPR as we introduce new products and services
Our Third-party service providers operate under the same regulatory regimes and we select industry standard suppliers to ensure that we can deliver the best products and services
How Can I Request Access To My Personal Information?
We have online information for product users or get in touch with our Customer Satisfaction Team
We provide secure online self-service access to account information for our customers via the Assured Management System (AMS)
If you need further information additional to that available through our online channels, customers can contact Assured Group of Companies Customer Care who will be pleased to assist with general enquiries
If you have a specific request for personal information from the Assured Group of Companies please contact our Data Protection team on info@assuredgroup.org
Existing legislation and GDPR require organisations to respond to data subject access requests. Assured Group of Companies is already able to do so and has refined their current processes in respect of GDPR. Accordingly, as a matter of compliance we will need to authenticate your identity to ensure that we handle any request securely.
As an Assured Group Of Companies Customer or Supplier, Will Anything Change?
No functional change is anticipated for Assured Group Of Companies products and services, however as part of our GDPR readiness preparations we are updating and creating relevant policies and procedures, which will be published and notified to applicable users as appropriate
Assured Group of Companies policies are being reviewed and updated to contain wording that aligns with the requirements of GDPR
As relevant policies and procedures are updated for the Assured Group Of Companies’ products and services, users will be notified accordingly
Where users have already consented to receiving material such as the Assured Group Of Companies updates, we provide the ability for users to change or withdraw consent in line with legislative requirements
As part of the service and products we provide, the Company will continue to review the business purpose for using personal information and as such there may be future changes to relevant policies and procedures, including consent issues.
Will the Assured Group Of Companies Customers Need a Data Processing Agreement?
A Data Processing agreement will not be needed by many customers – instead, updates where applicable to contractual documentation, should be sufficient.
Assured Group of Companies policies have been updated to align with the requirements of GDPR and this should be sufficient for many of our customers.
A commercial customer may require a Data Processing Agreement/Addendum to help demonstrate it is meeting its obligations with respect to GDPR. In such cases, Assured Group of Companies will provide a suitable template populated with the necessary details.
Who / where do I go to if I have any other queries about Data Protection at the Assured Group of Companies?
Direct all enquiries to our Data Champions by emailing info@assuredgroup.org
Depending on the nature of the query, this will be responded to by the appropriate Data Champion in respect of customer, supplier or employee issues.
Assured Group is the UK’s largest privately owned vehicle preparation company, serving all sectors of the automotive industry. As a group it provides a range of services provided through its’ various Limited companies.
This report is focussed solely on Assured Group Ltd, which is the largest company in the UK specialising in vehicle preparation services.
Assured Group’s Equal Opportunities Policy, states:
The Company is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a policy of treating all its employees and job applicants equally. The Company will avoid unlawful discrimination in all aspects of employment including recruitment and selection, promotion, transfer, opportunities for training, pay and benefits, other terms of employment, discipline, selection for redundancy and dismissal.
In accordance with Gender Pay Gap legislation, the company reported its’ data for 5 April 2017 and 2018, based on the following headcount:
| Headcount |
2021 |
2018 |
2017 |
| Male |
254 |
325 |
276 |
| Female |
50 |
56 |
39 |
|
|
|
|
| Total |
304 |
381 |
315 |
Largely due to the effects of COVID-19 pandemic, the number of employees and workers has substantially decreased since the last report in 2020, by nearly 100 personnel. This has had a corresponding negative effect on differentials, with the company seeing the first slowing down in 4 years of reporting upward trends.
The data reported on https://gender-pay-gap.service.gov.uk is as follows:
Difference in Mean hourly rate of pay: 19.10%, a decrease from 22.2% in 2017.
Difference in Median hourly rate of pay: 10.66%, also decreased from 13.1%
Difference in Mean bonus pay: 98.23%, an increase from 68.2%
Difference in Median bonus pay: 86.11% an increase from 67.38%
Percentage of employees who receive bonus pay:
Male: 18.11% decreased from 24.3
Female: 6.00% decreased from 23%
| Employees by pay quartile |
Male |
Female |
| Upper quartile |
2017 – 90%, 2021 – 90% |
2017 – 10%, 2021 – 10% |
| Upper middle quartile |
2017 – 95%, 2021 – 83% |
2017 – 5%, 2021 – 17% |
| Lower middle quartile |
2017 – 84%, 2021 – 82% |
2017 – 16%, 2021 – 18% |
| Lower quarter |
2017 – 82%, 2021 – 81% |
2017 – 18%, 2021 – 19% |
Conclusions
In common with most of this industry sector, a very high proportion of Assured Group’s employees are male, at 83% of its total headcount. Despite this, the ratio of females to males has steadily increased since reporting began in 2017.
Having analysed the figures behind the top level data, Assured Group is satisfied that the data reflects the proportion of male vs female employees in the business.
It would also factor in that Assured Group is one of only a few companies in our industry that is privately owned and financed. As such, the top level information provided includes the pay data of the company’s 4 male shareholders, which naturally affects the overall figures.
Comparing the latest data with 2017 and the intervening years which have been reported, overall there has been a positive difference in gender pay gap differentials, especially as the percentage of female personnel has increased year on year.
The drastic loss of headcount due to the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic has also had notable impacts on the figures for this year. As the Company works towards recovery and future growth, it anticipates that the differentials will continue to decrease in line with the positive progress originally made.
Finally, as a business Assured Group Ltd remains committed to continuing to uphold the principles of its Equal Opportunities Policy and assessing where it can positively promote the rights and interests of a very diverse range of employees in all aspects of their work.
