Whisker Job Applicant Privacy Notice

Last Updated: September 17th, 2025 

This Job Applicant Privacy Notice ("Applicant Notice") describes how Automated Pet Care Products, LLC dba Whisker ("we," "us," "our," or “Whisker”) collects, uses, and discloses personal information about job applicants through our online application and recruitment platform, which is operated by Paylocity and other third-party vendors.  

Please note that this Applicant Notice is specific to persons who submit a job application, whether through our website, in person, or other means. For our broader privacy practices not specific to applicants, please review our General Privacy Policy, the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Whisker utilizes Paylocity as its human resources, applicant tracking and payroll platform. Please also see Paylocity’s Job Applicant Privacy Policy for information on how your personal data is collected, used, stored, and shared by Paylocity. 

1. Information We Collect

When you apply for employment with Whisker, we may collect the following categories of information:

A. Information you directly provide to us, such as 

• Contact details (name, email, phone number, address),
• Professional history (résumé/CV, work experience, education, certifications),
• Employment preferences (salary expectations, relocation willingness), and
• References and recommendations (prior employers and personal contacts).

B. Information automatically collected through our website and systems, such as

• Website usage data (IP address, device information) and
• Test or assessment results, where applicable.

C. Information provided by third-party sources, such as

• Background check providers (see Section 3 below for more info),
• Prior employers and professional references,
• Publicly-available profiles (e.g., LinkedIn, or your online portfolio), and 
• Drug-testing vendors (see Section 4 below for more info).

2. Sensitive and Biometric Information

We may collect the following categories of sensitive personal information during the application process, strictly for lawful employment purposes:

• Government Identifiers, such as Social Security numbers, passport details, and driver's license information when required for background checks or immigration compliance.
• Protected Characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, religion, veteran status, disability status, and sexual orientation collected for reporting and diversity initiatives, on a voluntary self-identification where applicable.
• Health Information, such as disability accommodations requests and COVID-19 vaccination status where legally permissible or required.

Sensitive personal information is only processed for business purposes, including compliance with employment laws, as a contractual necessity for role-specific requirements, and to ensure and support workplace safety and security. 

For California applicants, we adhere to CPRA §1798.121 restrictions on sensitive data inferences.

Applicants may decline to provide sensitive information except where legally mandated for role eligibility determinations.

3. Background Checks

As part of our hiring process, Whisker may conduct background checks on candidates who have received a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and applicable state and local laws, including California’s Fair Chance Act, we will not inquire into or consider your criminal history until after a conditional job offer has been extended. Before initiating any background check, we will provide you with a clear, standalone written disclosure and obtain your written authorization as required by law.

Our background checks may include the review of criminal conviction records, sex offender registry status, and global sanctions or watchlists, but will not consider arrests that did not result in conviction, expunged or sealed records, juvenile adjudications, or participation in diversion programs, as prohibited by law. In California and other jurisdictions with “ban the box” laws, we will not ask about or consider your criminal history until you have reached the post-offer stage of the hiring process.

All background check information is treated with strict confidentiality and shared only with those who have a legitimate business need to know or as required by law. 

4. Drug Testing

As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and productive workplace, Whisker may require pre-employment drug screening for certain positions, particularly those that are safety-sensitive or subject to regulatory requirements. If a drug test is required for the position you are seeking, you will be notified in advance and provided with a separate disclosure and authorization form.

Drug testing may involve the collection of biological samples, such as urine, hair, or saliva, which will be processed by a certified third-party laboratory. The information collected during this process, including your name, date of birth, and test results, will be used solely to determine your eligibility for employment in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Positive results will be reviewed by a Medical Review Officer (MRO), and you will have an opportunity to provide information regarding any lawful prescriptions or medical conditions that may affect the results.

Whisker will maintain the confidentiality of your drug testing information and will only share results with those who have a legitimate need to know, such as human resources personnel or regulatory bodies, as required by law. All records related to drug testing will be retained and disposed of in accordance with applicable legal requirements and our internal data retention policies.

If you have questions about our drug testing procedures or your rights, please contact us at legal@whisker.com or refer to the separate disclosure provided at the time of testing.

5. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information collected from job applicants for a variety of legitimate business and legal purposes related to our recruitment and hiring processes. Specifically, we use your information to:

• Assess Your Qualifications and Suitability: We  review your application materials, résumé, references, and any assessment      results to determine whether your skills, experience, and background align with the requirements of the position for which you have applied.
• Communicate With You: We use your contact information to correspond with you about your application status, schedule      interviews, request additional information, and provide updates throughout the hiring process.
• Conduct Interviews and Assessments: If you advance in the process, we may use your information to arrange and conduct interviews (in person, by phone, or virtually) and to administer skills or personality assessments relevant to the role.
• Verify Information and Conduct Background Checks: Where permitted and required, we use your information to verify your identity, credentials, and employment history, and to conduct background checks, reference checks, and, if applicable, drug testing. These processes help us ensure the integrity of our hiring practices and the safety and security of our workplace.
• Comply With Legal Obligations: We may use your information to comply with applicable laws and regulations, such as equal employment opportunity (EEO) reporting, immigration and work authorization requirements, and responding to lawful requests from regulatory authorities.
• Demographics: Where permitted by law and on a voluntary basis, we may collect and use certain demographic information. This data is typically aggregated and not used to make individual employment decisions.
• Protect Whisker’s Rights and Interests: We may use your information to prevent fraud, protect the security of our systems and premises, enforce our legal rights, and defend against legal claims.
• Facilitate Onboarding and Employment: If you are offered and accept a position, we may use your information to prepare employment agreements, facilitate onboarding, and set up necessary employment records.

We will not use your personal information for purposes that are incompatible with those described above without providing you additional notice. Where required by law, we will seek your consent before using your information for certain purposes.

6. How We Share Your Information

We take your privacy seriously and only share applicants’ personal information as necessary to support our recruitment and hiring processes, to comply with legal obligations, and to protect our rights and interests. Specifically, we may share your information in the following circumstances:

• With Service Providers and Vendors: We engage trusted third-party service providers to assist with various aspects of the recruitment process. For example, we may use vendors such as Paylocity to collect and manage job applications, background check providers to verify your credentials and criminal history, drug testing laboratories for pre-employment screening, and technology providers to support our applicant tracking systems and communications. These service providers are contractually obligated to use your information only for the services they provide to us and to maintain its confidentiality and security.
• With Whisker Affiliates: If your application may be relevant to other positions within Whisker or its affiliated companies, we may share your information internally for consideration for those roles. Any such sharing is subject to the same privacy and security protections described in this notice.
• With Legal and Regulatory Authorities: We may disclose your information when required to do so by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request. This may include sharing information for equal employment opportunity (EEO) reporting, immigration and work authorization verification, or in response to a court order, subpoena, or similar legal process.
• In Connection with Business Transactions: If Whisker is involved in a merger, acquisition, reorganization, sale of assets, or similar business transaction, your information may be disclosed or transferred as part of that transaction. In such cases, we will take steps to ensure your information continues to be protected in accordance with this notice.
• To Protect Whisker and Others: We may share your information as necessary to prevent fraud, ensure the security of our systems and premises, enforce our legal rights, or protect the safety and rights of applicants, employees, or the public.
• With Your Consent: In circumstances not described above, we will seek your explicit consent before sharing your information with third parties.

7. Sale of Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information or share it with third parties for their own independent marketing purposes. All third parties with whom we share applicant information are required to protect it in accordance with applicable laws and our contractual agreements.

Note that the above statement applies to information collected as part of the job application and recruitment process. For our broader privacy practices not specific to applicants, but which may apply to you as a user of our website or mobile applications, please review our General Privacy Policy, the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference.

8. Interview & Hiring Processes

At later interviewing and hiring stages, we may collect additional information from you, including identification documents, school transcripts, proof of professional license or certification, or information necessary to process security clearances (where applicable). 

Prior to an interview, we may ask you to sign a non-disclosure or similar agreement if our confidential business plans may be discussed during the interview. We may collect additional information from you as part of such agreements. 

In all such instances, we will either collect the information directly from you or from third parties subject to your prior notice and consent. 

9. Data Retention and Security

We retain applicant information for three (3) years after the year of collection for active candidates and one (1) year for rejected applicants, in the event we wish to consider them for future opportunities. We retain such information for longer periods where required by law or for security purposes. 

If we hire you, the information you submitted as an applicant will become part of your personnel file at Whisker and will no longer be subject to the retention limitations described above. 

We implement technical and organizational safeguards including encrypted data transmissions, role-based access controls, and security audits of vendors to secure applicant information. 

10. Your Privacy Rights

If you are a resident of California or another state with similar privacy laws, you have specific rights regarding your personal information as a job applicant. These rights are provided under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), and may also be available under other state laws.

• Right to Know: You have the right to request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources from which the information was collected, the business or commercial purposes for collecting it, the categories of third parties with whom we share your information, and the categories of information that have been disclosed for a business purpose.
• Right to Access and Data Portability: You may request access to your personal information, including receiving a copy of the specific information we have collected about you in a portable and, to the extent technically feasible, readily usable format.
• Right to Correct: You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate personal information about you that we maintain.
• Right to Delete: You can request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions such as when the information is required to comply with legal obligations or for other permitted purposes.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing: You have the right to direct us not to sell or share your personal information with third parties for purposes such as cross-context behavioral advertising. Whisker does not sell your personal information in the traditional sense, but you may exercise this right if applicable.
• Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: You may request that we limit the use and disclosure of your sensitive personal information to only those purposes necessary to perform the services or provide the goods reasonably expected by an average consumer, or as otherwise permitted by law.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: You will not be discriminated against or retaliated against for exercising any of your privacy rights under the CCPA or similar laws.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at legal@whisker.com or use the methods described in our General Privacy Policy. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request to protect your privacy and security. For more detailed information about your privacy rights, the categories of personal information we collect, and the procedures for submitting a request, please refer to Whisker’s General Privacy Policy.

If you have concerns about how your personal information is handled, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant state authority.

11. Contact Us

For questions or to exercise your rights:

Whisker

1080 West Entrance Drive

Auburn Hills, MI 48326

Email: legal@whisker.com