Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 2026

365 Virtual Bench ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our platform, and sets out your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Please read this policy carefully. By using 365 Virtual Bench, you confirm that you have read and understood its terms.

1. Who we are

365 Virtual Bench is a talent platform connecting Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform specialists with organisations seeking their expertise. We operate as a data controller in respect of the personal data you provide to us.

If you have questions about this policy or how your data is handled, contact us at: privacy@365virtualbench.com

2. What data we collect

All users

Full name and email address
Account type (Employer or Talent)
IP address and browser/device information
Usage data (pages visited, actions taken on the platform)

Talent (candidates)

Job title, professional summary, and years of experience
Microsoft certifications and qualifications
Skills, specialisms, and proficiency levels
Work history and project experience
Day rate, location, and availability
CV and supporting documents (Silver and Gold tiers)
References and referee details (Gold tier)
Subscription and payment status

Employers (clients)

Company name and role within the organisation
Project requirements and role briefs submitted via the platform
Saved shortlists and search history
Subscription and billing information

3. How we use your data

To create and manage your account
To display your profile to relevant employers (Talent users)
To power AI-assisted matching and search results
To process subscription payments via our payment provider
To send transactional emails such as account confirmations and updates
To notify you of platform announcements when you have opted in
To improve and develop our platform based on aggregated usage data
To meet legal and regulatory obligations

4. Legal basis for processing

We process your personal data on the following legal bases:

Contract performance — to provide the services you have signed up for
Legitimate interests — to operate, maintain, and improve our platform
Consent — for marketing communications, which you may withdraw at any time
Legal obligation — to comply with applicable laws and regulations

5. Profile visibility

Talent profiles are visible to registered Employer users by default once approved. You can control your profile visibility from your dashboard at any time, including setting it to hidden or pausing your listing entirely. Certain fields (such as your full CV and references) are only accessible to employers where your subscription tier and visibility settings permit.

6. Data sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with:

Registered employers — who access your profile through the platform in accordance with your visibility settings
Payment processors — to handle subscription billing securely (e.g. Stripe)
Infrastructure providers — including Microsoft Azure, Google Firebase, and other cloud services used to operate the platform
Legal and regulatory authorities — where we are required to do so by law

All third-party providers are subject to data processing agreements and are required to handle your data in accordance with applicable data protection law.

7. Data retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. If you close your account, we will delete or anonymise your data within 90 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or regulatory purposes.

CV files, references, and qualification documents uploaded to the platform are retained only for the duration of your subscription and deleted promptly upon account closure or subscription cancellation.

8. Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously. We use industry-standard encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access controls, and authenticated-only access for all personal data held on the platform. Despite these measures, no internet transmission is completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
Object to or restrict certain processing of your data
Data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@365virtualbench.com. We will respond within 30 days.

10. Cookies

We use essential cookies to operate the platform (such as session authentication). We do not currently use advertising or tracking cookies. If this changes, we will update this policy and seek your consent where required.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the date at the top of this page and, where the changes are material, notify you by email. Continued use of the platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact

For any questions or requests relating to this Privacy Policy, please contact:
privacy@365virtualbench.com