Management and protection of personal information policy

Respect for privacy and confidentiality is important to Canadians. In recent years, both federal and provincial governments have adopted legislative measures designed to protect personal information.

Since Desjardins Insurance – Opens a tooltip was founded in , significant and effective measures have been put in place to protect the confidentiality of the personal information we handle. In order to offer quality financial services, we require access to medical, financial and family information. We manage this information with the utmost discretion and in compliance with Canadian statutory and regulatory requirements.

We are committed to managing and protecting your personal information:

What is personal information?

Personal information is any information about an identifiable individual or any facts which, on their own or combined with other data, can identify an individual. Personal information doesn't include the names and titles of an organization's employees or the addresses and telephone numbers of their workplace. It doesn't apply to information regarding companies or other legal entities.

Collecting personal information and creating files

The personal information we have about you is kept in a file so we can offer you our insurance, annuity, credit and related financial services.

With regard to our subsidiary, Desjardins Financial Security Investment Inc. (SFL Investments in the province of Quebec), the purpose of the file is to offer you a variety of financial services, including mutual funds and investment contracts.

We collect from you or, with your consent, from third parties, the personal information necessary to provide the services you require. If you decline to provide this information or to consent to its disclosure, we may be unable to offer our services.

We collect only the information necessary for the purpose of the file, in compliance with the law.

You are the first person we approach to obtain your personal information. Subject to certain exceptions provided by law, your consent is required to collect personal information about you from a third party. In such a case, we indicate the source of the information in the file.

Our applications and forms include an authorization section that enables us to collect, use and disclose (only under certain circumstances) your personal information. It is very important that you read this section carefully before signing it.

We always ask for your consent before we collect or disclose your medical information.

When we open a file on you, we inform you of:

  • The purpose of the file
  • How the personal information will be used
  • Who will have access to the personal information in the file
  • Where the file will be kept
  • Your right to access or correct personal information in the file

Claims

We process your claims in the strictest confidence. Any medical information we obtain is used only for the purpose of assessing these claims. Our claims forms include a section authorizing us to collect any additional information needed to assess these claims.

Retention, use and disclosure of personal information

We apply the necessary and appropriate security measures to protect the confidential nature of the personal information in our possession. This means that only authorized individuals can access the personal information in the files and only when necessary in the course of their duties.

We have implemented various security measures, including:

  • All permanent and temporary employees must sign a confidentiality agreement
  • Rules concerning the protection of the confidentiality of personal information in the files have been added to our Code of ethics and professional conduct, and the violation of these rules can lead to disciplinary action, up to dismissal
  • Company representatives and providers of goods and services with access to personal information must sign a confidentiality agreement
  • Security systems have been installed in our business establishments to prevent unauthorized access
  • Appropriate safeguards have been installed in our computer systems

We do our best to ensure that the information in the file is up to date before it is used to make any decisions concerning you.

Unless you consent, or it is required by law, personal information in the files is never used for any purpose other than that for which it was intended.

Our client lists are only used or disclosed as permitted by law. We can use these lists to inform our clients of promotions or to offer a new product. If you would like your name to be removed from the list, call us at 1-877-938-8933 or write to us at:

Desjardins Insurance
200, rue des Commandeurs
Lévis, Québec
G6V 6R2
privacy.officer@dfs.ca

We won't disclose the personal information about you contained in the file to any third party, unless we receive written consent from you, or we are authorized by law to do so (for example, in the case of an inquiry by the officers of the court).

When personal information is sent outside of Desjardins Insurance, it is done so as to ensure confidentiality, even if you are the one who will receive the information.

Disclosing personal information to service providers outside Canada

In the normal course of its operations, DFS sometimes works with non-Canadian service providers to perform certain specific activities. It is therefore possible that some of your personal information may be sent to another country and be subject to the laws of that country.

However, DFS ensures that it protects all the personal information it has in its possession, including information sent to service providers located both in Canada and elsewhere. In accordance with DFS’s privacy policies and practices, these service providers must sign a written confidentiality agreement to protect personal information that is sent to them.

Right of access and correction

You can access the personal information we have about you at any time by sending a written request to the person in charge of your file or to the address below:

Desjardins Insurance
200, rue des Commandeurs
LEV-150-11e-E
Lévis, Québec
G6V 6R2
arp@dsf.ca

This right of access and correction covers:

  • The right to consult the personal information in the file free of charge
  • The right to obtain a copy of the personal information in the file for a reasonable fee
  • The right to have incomplete, inaccurate or ambiguous information corrected in the file

What can I do if I have questions or if I'm not satisfied with the handling of my personal information?

If you have a question, concern or complaint about the processing of your personal information, you can:

1. First, contact an employee, manager or the person in charge of your file, or write to us at the address below:

Desjardins Insurance
200, rue des Commandeurs
Lévis, Québec
G6V 6R2

2. If you're not satisfied with the response you received, you may contact the Desjardins Group Chief Privacy Officer.

Desjardins Group Privacy Office
100, rue des Commandeurs
LEV-100-6e-A
Lévis, Québec
G6V 7N5
cpo@desjardins.com

You must provide your name and contact information, the nature of your request, the name of the department or person you have already contacted and any relevant information.

If you wish, you may also contact the appropriate provincial or federal privacy commissioner.

Changes to the policy

We reserve the right to change this policy at any time.