Privacy notice
For staff using the BirtBros app (iPhone app and website). Last updated 2 November 2026.
Who is responsible for your data
BirtBros, is your employer and the data controller for the information in this app. Contact your manager about your data.
The app is built and hosted for us by Adsum (adsum.ai), who act as our data processor: they only handle the data on our instructions, to run the app, and never use it for anything else.
What we collect and why
| Data | Why | Lawful basis (UK GDPR) |
|---|---|---|
| Name, username, password (stored only as a one-way hash), role, normal hours and holiday allowance | To give you an account and work out hours, overtime and holiday | Contract of employment (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| Clock on / clock off times and any notes | To record working time, pay you correctly and meet working-time record-keeping rules | Contract (6(1)(b)) and legal obligation (6(1)(c)) – Working Time Regulations 1998, HMRC pay records |
| Holiday requests, dates and decisions | To manage annual leave and your allowance | Contract (6(1)(b)) and legal obligation (6(1)(c)) |
| Location – only if your manager has switched it on for you: your phone’s position and accuracy at the moment you clock on and clock off | To confirm you clocked on/off at a work site, and to resolve disputes about hours | Legitimate interests (6(1)(f)) – see below |
| Sign-in session cookie and your IP address (security only) | To keep you signed in and to block password-guessing | Legitimate interests (6(1)(f)) |
About location
- Location is off by default. It is only used for staff where it’s needed, and you are told in the app when it is on for you.
- It is captured only at the moment you press clock on or clock off. The app never tracks you in the background, between clock events, or outside work.
- Your phone will ask for permission. You can refuse or turn it off in your phone’s settings; if location is required for your role, you won’t be able to clock on in the app and should speak to your manager.
- Coordinates are deleted automatically after 90 days; the clock times themselves are kept as below.
- We have done a legitimate interests assessment and a data protection impact assessment for this, which you can ask to see.
Who can see it
- You can see your own times, holiday and balance in the app.
- Managers with admin access in BirtBros can see all staff records, to run payroll and approve holiday.
- Our processor (Adsum) and its hosting provider Cloudflare, Inc. store the data on our behalf. Data is held in Cloudflare’s Western Europe region; Cloudflare may access it from other countries for support and security under the UK International Data Transfer Addendum / UK–US Data Bridge.
- We don’t sell your data, use it for advertising, or share it with anyone else unless the law requires it (e.g. HMRC).
How long we keep it
- Clock times and holiday records: 6 years, then deleted automatically (covers pay, tax and employment-claim time limits).
- Clock-on/off locations: 90 days.
- Sign-in sessions: 30 days. Failed sign-in records: 24 hours.
- When you leave, your account is switched off. On request we will anonymise or delete it, keeping only what the law requires.
Your rights
You have the right to access, correct, delete or restrict use of your data, to object to processing based on legitimate interests (including location), and to data portability.
- Download your data any time: Account › Download my data.
- Ask for deletion: Account › Request account deletion. We’ll respond within one month.
- Anything else: ask your manager.
If you’re unhappy with how we handle your data you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or 0303 123 1113.
Cookies and tracking
The app uses one strictly-necessary cookie to keep you signed in. There are no analytics, advertising or tracking cookies, no third-party trackers, and fonts are served from our own servers. The iPhone app does not track you across other apps or websites.
Security
All traffic is encrypted (HTTPS). Passwords are hashed with PBKDF2. Repeated failed sign-ins are blocked. Only staff given admin access can see other people’s records.
Changes
If we change this notice we’ll update the date above and tell you in the app if the change is significant.