Wim (57) was dismissed as a volunteer, but did not know why
For many years, I worked at a thrift shop as a volunteer. I really enjoyed working there, until the organisation informed me that I was no longer welcome. This decision came like a bolt out of the blue for me. I wanted to know why the cooperation stopped all of a sudden, but unfortunately did not receive a response. That is why I asked the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP) to help me. I wanted to know which personal data the thrift shop had of me. Who knows if this would help me get an answer after all.
I have always been a busy bee. During the last 5 years, I worked at a thrift shop in the neighbourhood. I combined this with my ‘ordinary’ job and my family life. On average, I was busy with this half a day per week. I thought that everyone was always satisfied with me. Until suddenly I received an email. It said that I was no longer welcome at the organisation. What was more, my next shift had already been removed from the schedule!
My first thought was: what a strange story. The mail did not contain an explanation either. I therefore thought that there had been a mistake. I asked my then-manager for clarification. I wanted to know why I was given the sack all of a sudden. But the manager did not respond to my message at all.
I asked for clarification. My manager did not respond to my message at all.
So I wanted more information, but was not sure how to go about this. After a search on the Internet, I ended up with the AP. I decided to use a model letter of the AP to exercise my right of access to my personal data. In that case, the organisation has to let me know which personal data the organisation has of me, where they come from, and what is done with them. I hoped to get an answer to the question of why I had been sacked.
Sadly, once again there was no answer. I felt uneasy about it, and that is why I submitted a complaint to the AP. An employee of the AP then wrote a letter to the Data Protection Office (DPO) of the organisation. This time, I received a response within a week.
The AP sent a letter to the DPO. This time, I received a response within a week.
The letter from the AP has therefore helped. Finally, I learnt which personal data the thrift shop has of me. Unfortunately, I had mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I was glad that I got a response and was no longer talking to a brick wall. On the other hand, I was given less information than I had hoped. I got to see why I had to go, but there was no mention of how exactly that had been decided and on whose initiative. That would violate the privacy of the employee concerned, the DPO said.
Looking back on the recent period, I am glad that I have privacy rights. And that I have been able to exercise them. Otherwise, the organisation would have left me in the dark. Now I have at least a piece of the answer. I am also happy with the help of the AP. Without this help I would have got stuck, because the organisation did not respond.
I still don't know what my next step will be. Maybe I will try to find more answers in another way. For example, by going to court. Or I leave it at this and start working as a volunteer somewhere else.
Did you know that…
- You can submit a request for access to an organisation? Use our model letter (in Dutch) for this purpose.
- A request for access consists of 5 steps and does not cost you any money?
- In principle, the organisation has to respond to your request for access within 1 month? But if your request is complex, or you have sent multiple requests to the same organisation, The organisation may take up to 2 more months for a response. In that case, the organisation will have to let you know within 1 month that they need more time. And why this is.
- You can contact the DPO or the privacy officer of the organisation (if they have one) when you have not received a response within 1 month? You can find the contact details of this person on the website of the organisation. Or in the privacy statement.
- You can submit a complaint to the AP if you do not receive a response even then?
- The AP can handle complaints in several ways? The AP can also, for example, mediate between you and the organisation that your complaint is about. Or send a warning letter to the organisation. This is how the AP handles complaints.
- You do not always simply receive all personal data that an organisation has about you? Here is why.
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* The privacy stories on this website are based on actual reports to the AP. Due to the privacy of those involved, the personal data and some circumstances have been changed. We use models (stock photography) for the images in these stories.
Why is protecting personal data so important? These people share what happened to them.