We see ourselves as committed to respecting the privacy of our website visitors and customers. The protection and security of personal data are our highest priority.

Messer Investment Holding GmbH, represented by their Managing Directors, Messer-Platz 1, 65812 Bad Soden am Taunus, Germany (phone +49 6196 77 60-0, E-Mail: info@messerinvestment.com; hereinafter referred to as “we” or “us”) is therefore strictly abiding by the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The following text will inform you of this privacy policy as those responsible within the meaning of Section 4, no. 7, GDPR, on how we use your personal information, i.e., what kind of personal data we collect and how they are processed.

What is personal data?

A definition of the term “personal data” can be found in the GDPR. According to this definition, it includes all information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. This includes, for example, your real name, your telephone number, or your birth date.

Data Logging

In general, the use of our website does not require you to give any personal data. But whenever this website is visited, our web server creates so-called log files. The data stored in these log files includes:

• The IP address of the requesting computer (including the geographic location)
• Website from which the file was requested (referrer URL)
• Access date and time of the server request, including the length of the visit
• Browser type and settings
• Operating system
• the page you have visited (file name and URL)
• the data volume to be transmitted
• Access status (file transmitted etc.)

This data will only be collected for statistical purposes. Data will not be transferred to third parties, either for commercial or non-commercial purposes. We will also at no point merge this information with data from other sources. We collect and process this data in order to enable the use of this website in the first place and to adapt it to the users’ preferences and on the basis of section 6, para. 1, page 1 lit. f.) GDPR. It is in our legitimate interest to provide you with a website featuring all functions, including its ongoing optimization.

This data stored in the server log files will only be on file for a limited period of time and deleted at regular intervals after 30 days.

We reserve the right to perform a retrospective review of this data whenever we become aware of specific indications of unlawful use. This review will only serve the purpose of exposing and preventing unlawful use of our website on the basis of section 6, para. 1, page 1, lit. f) GDPR. It is in our legitimate interest to ensure the data security of our offer and to prevent any improper use.

Further collection, processing, and use of personal data

We collect or process personal data only when such information is voluntarily provided to us, e.g., transmitted relating to a request for quotation. In this event, your information from the request for quotation and the contact data you have provided in order to fulfill the purpose intended by transmitting the data, e.g., in order to process our request and for any further questions. Storage and use of this personal data is section 6, para. 1, page 1, lit. b) GDPR provided that you enter this personal data for the purpose of entering a business relationship with us. This is the only time when entering your personal data is required within the meaning of section 13, para. 2 e) GDPR. In all other cases, storage and use will take place on the basis of section 6, para.1, page 1 lit. f) GDPR, where it is in our legitimate interest to carefully process your request.

If you place an order with us for rendering a service or if we use your services, we only collect, store and use your personal data to the extent where this is necessary for the provision of the service or the performance of the contract. The associated processing of data is in compliance with the legal basis of section 6, para. 1, page 1, lit. b) GDPR. This may also entail the necessity of passing on your personal information to companies we use for the provision of the service or performance of the contract. These may include transport companies or other service providers. Such transmission to the service providers we hire is also done on the legal basis of section 6, para. 1, page 1, lit. b) GDPR.

In all cases where data processing as described above serves the performance of the contract, the provision of your personal data is needed for the execution of the contract (see section 13, para. 2, 2 lit. e) GDPR). Without your personal data, we will be unable to perform the contract properly.

Data handling in the job application process

The personal information you provide to us during your job application (usually a cover letter and supporting documents, such as certificates, collectively referred to as “application documents”) will only be stored and used while processing the application. Passing on this information to third parties outside of Messer Investment Holding GmbH will not take place without your explicit prior consent. The following group of persons will have access to your data: Employees in Human Resources, the responsible supervisor, and the works council. Should a follow-up interview be scheduled where you are to meet your future colleagues, they will receive a copy of your resume so they can prepare for the meeting. All persons were sworn to maintain data secrecy and will treat your application as absolutely confidential.

Collection and processing of data during the application process for a job opening at Messer Investment Holding GmbH will be performed in line with section 88 GDPR in connection with section 26, para. 1 and 3 German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). Should we continue to store your personal data after the completion of the application process for one more year in the context of our applicant tracking system, this will be done pursuant to section 6 para 1, page 1, lit. a) GDPR on the basis of your voluntary consent, which we will separately collect during the application process if required. In all other cases, your data (application information and interview results) will be deleted from our applicant tracking system at the end of the period of three months following the date on which the application period ends, provided that this is not prevented by legitimate reasons on our side.

Cookies

No automated decision-making

We are not engaging in automated decision-making, including profiling, pursuant to section 22, para. 1 and 4 GDPR.

Data transmission to third parties

There will be no transmission of your data to third parties without your explicit consent unless this may be required for the provision of the service or performance of the contract. Any transmission of your personal data to third parties will accordingly only happen based upon your consent pursuant to section 6, para. 1, page 1, lit. a) GDPR or for contract performance purposes pursuant to section 6, para. 1, page 1 lit. b) GDPR. The transmission to government institutions and authorities entitled to receive such information will only take place within the limits of legal information duties or where we must disclose such information as instructed by a court order. In this case, the transfer of your data is mandatory for the fulfillment of a legal obligation which we are subject to pursuant to section 6, para. 1, page 1 lit. c) GDPR.

To the extent that external service providers come into contact with your personal data, we have ensured by taking all legal, technical, and organizational measures as well as regular controls that these will adhere to the provisions of data protection laws.

General retention period and deletion

We will store your personal data as long as this is necessary for the fulfillment of the intended purpose (e.g. performance of the contract, responding to your request) or legitimate reasons within the meaning of section 17, para. 3, GDPR, such as legal retention periods. As long as legal retention periods, such as under commercial and tax law, conflict with the deletion of your personal data, we will limit the processing of your data; after that, your data will be deleted according to the legal regulations.
Applicant data will be deleted within six months after the end of the application process at the latest unless you have granted us your consent for storage exceeding this period or if there are legitimate reasons on your side to object to deletion, such as the defense of legal claims.

How We Protect Personal Information

We have taken appropriate technical and organizational precautions to prevent the loss, abuse, or unauthorized modification of your personal data. We will store all the personal data you make available to us on our secure servers (password and firewall-protected). All electronic transactions you carry out with or receive from us will be encrypted. Please note that data transmission via the Internet is not 100% secure in itself and that we cannot guarantee the security of data transmitted via the Internet.

Your rights as data subjects

You may, at any time and free of cost, obtain confirmation or information about your personal data stored by us (section 15 GDPR). You also have the right to demand the correction of incorrect data (section 16 GDPR) as well as the deletion of your personal data provided there are no legitimate reasons objecting to such deletion (section 17, para. 3, GDPR) or the restriction of data processing (section 18, GDPR). Provided that the foundation for the processing of data is section 6, para. 1, page 1, lit. f) GDPR (claiming of legitimate interest), pursuant to section 21 GDPR, you have the right to object to the handling of your personal data at any time to the extent where this is founded on reasons arising from your particular situation or when such objection is directed against data processing for direct marketing purposes. In the latter case, you are entitled to a general right of objection without giving a reason arising from your special situation, which will be implemented by us (section 21, para. 2, GDPR). If you file objections out of reasons arising from your special situation, we will no longer process your personal data unless we are able to verify legitimate compelling reasons for the processing that outweigh your interests, rights, and freedoms or the processing is in favor of the enforcement, exercise or defense of claims (section (21 para. 1, GDPR)

You may also at any time revoke any consent given to us for the collection and processing of data with future effects.

If you provide data regarding yourself, and if we process this data following your consent or for the performance of the contract, you may require that you receive this data in a structured, conventional, and machine-readable format from us or that we will transmit this data to another person responsible to the extent this is technically feasible (so-called right to data transferability).

Moreover, you are entitled to file a complaint with a regulatory body if you feel that data processing by us violates statutory regulations.

In order for you to claim your above-stated rights, please contact our contact address indicated above or send an e-mail to us or our local data protection officer.

Our data protection officer

We have appointed internal data protection coordinators in our company and have hired an external data protection officer. They will carry out organizational and technical measures, thus ensuring that your personal data is secure and protected. Please contact the Messer Investment Holding GmbH data protection officer for all questions about data protection at datenschutz@messerinvestment.com.

If you would like to contact us via regular mail, please direct all letters to the mailing address listed above.

Links to other provider websites

Our website may include links to other providers that are not covered by this privacy policy. This does not include third-party content and websites that are linked to our website. This applies to social networks, for example, LinkedIn, Xing, and others. In this case, your data is processed through the respective social network operator without us having any control over it. The same applies to the personal data you provide to us via such a platform, for example, by contacting us through our profile in the respective social network. Information on the handling and protection of your personal data on such networks can be found in the privacy statements of the respective platform providers. However, where we store your personal data, which you have communicated to us or which we have obtained via such social network, on our own servers and use it for the processing of your request or otherwise, the above notes in this privacy statement naturally shall apply.

Updates to this Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to amend this privacy policy within the limits of the existing legal provisions and to publish an updated version on our website to the extent where this is appropriate due to new technological developments, legislative changes, or changes in our business operations. This is why we recommend that you review this website periodically in order to make sure that you are familiar with our most recent privacy policy.