Applicant and Employee Notice California Consumer Privacy Act

DATA PRIVACY AND DISCLOSURE 

APPLICANT/EMPLOYEE NOTICE

PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA CONSUMER PRIVACY ACT

Thank you for your interest in employment with one of the companies of Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Delaware corporation, on our own behalf and on behalf of our respective subsidiaries and affiliates, including our dealerships and vehicle buying centers located throughout the United States (collectively, our "Dealerships," "we," "us," or "our").  We believe that top quality customer service is a very important part of our business. We also understand that our employees play an important role in maintaining top quality customer service. We greatly appreciate the trust that you and our employees have placed in us, and we will protect that trust by continuing to respect and protect the privacy of all our employees and those persons that apply for employment with this dealership. This policy applies even if you are not hired by this dealership and, if you are hired, even if your employment later ends.

We have in place stringent strong measures to protect your private data that we collect. We believe our 

security measures exceed the "reasonable security measures to safeguard the data" required by the law 

so that your private information is protected from unauthorized access and/or disclosure. Those security 

measures include, but are not limited to, using passwords to access our computer systems and using 

secured servers and encryption to store and to transmit data.

We collect various categories of personal information about you for business purposes only. It is 

important for you to know that in order to ensure that our business has the best staff available and we 

are able to meet the needs of our staff and customers we collect and/or obtain the following categories 

of personal information, but only to the extent and at the times permitted by the law.

 

We do not share that information with any third parties, with the exception of service providers we use 

to operate our business and we require that those service providers also protect your information from 

disclosure to others, from loss or destruction and that they not use your information for any purposes 

other than for providing services relating to our business and your application/employment. We do 

not share your information for any other purpose and do not sell or otherwise profit from your 

information by providing it to third parties.

Category 1: Demographic Information. We collect demographic information (like your name 

and address, previous addresses, telephone numbers and emails addresses). We collect this information 

for various reasons, all associated with a valid business purpose. For example, Demographic Information 

is collected for the purposes of being able to contact and/or communicate with you, to consider your 

suitability for employment, to populate and to administer employment-related documents for your 

employment. We also collect information in order to: comply with federal and state laws and 

requirements; process and transmit payroll, taxes and withholding; collect and record your hours 

worked/attendance; submit worker's compensation claim; administer private and government 

employee health and other benefit programs; engage in performance management and evaluations for 

discipline and/or promotions; conduct workplace investigations; grant access to secured 

company systems, devices and locations; implement electronic security measures; consider 

you for transfers to other affiliated entities; evaluate potential buy/sells of the dealership 

assets; apply and maintain various forms of insurance; collect and analyze worker data and 

benchmarks, conduct video, telephone and/or internet usage surveillance; otherwise conduct 

lawful business-related activities.

Category 2: Personal Identifying Information. We collect other personal identifying 

information on you such as, but not limited to, your social security number, driver's license 

number, bank account information, credit and/or debit card information, characteristics of 

protected classifications under federal, state and local laws such as, but not limited to sex, age, 

race, religion, national origin, military status, language, disability, medical conditions, 

citizenship, immigration status and marital status. We collect this information for various 

reasons, all associated with a valid business purpose. For example, Personal Identifying 

Information is collected for the purpose of considering your suitability for employment, to run 

background checks, to verify your identity, to populate and to administer employment-related 

documents for your employment, payroll, withholding and/or employee benefits. We also 

collect information in order to: comply with federal and state laws and requirements; process 

and transmit payroll, taxes and withholding; collect and record your hours worked/attendance; 

submit worker's compensation claims; administer private and government employee health 

and other benefit programs; engage in performance management and evaluations for 

discipline and/or promotions; conduct workplace investigations; grant access to secured 

company systems, devices and locations; implement electronic security measures; consider 

you for transfers to other affiliated entities; evaluate potential buy/sells of the dealership 

assets; apply and maintain various forms of insurance; collect and analyze worker data and 

benchmarks, conduct video, telephone and/or internet usage surveillance; and, otherwise 

conduct lawful business-related activities. We may also collect biometric data (e.g., 

fingerprint, facial recognition, pupil scan, etc.) in order to confirm your identity and to have 

security for things like electronic timekeeping systems.

Category 3: Background Information. If you are offered employment and/or hired, you 

might provide and/or we will collect background information on you, as permitted by law, such 

as date of birth, passport information, immigration visas, work permits/authorizations, birth 

certificate, criminal history, some forms of credit history, driving record, educational history 

and/or educational degrees, including official credentials, professional licenses, permits and/or 

certificates. This information may come from an outside source such as an Investigative 

Consumer Reporting Agency and if it does, you will receive information about that agency and 

what is collected after an offer of employment is extended. We collect this information for 

various reasons, all associated with a valid business purpose. For example, Background 

Information is collected for the purpose of considering your suitability for employment, to run 

consumer investigative report (background check), to verify your identity, to populate and to 

administer employment-related documents for your employment, payroll, withholding, 

employee benefits, and/or your eligibility to work in the United States. We also collect 

information in order to: comply with federal and state laws and requirements; process and 

transmit payroll, taxes and withholding; collect and record your hours worked/attendance; 

submit worker's compensation claims; administer private and government employee health

and other benefit programs; engage in performance management and evaluations for discipline 

and/or promotions; conduct workplace investigations; grant access to secured company 

systems, devices and locations; implement electronic security measures; consider you for 

transfers to other affiliated entities; evaluate potential buy/sells of the dealership assets; apply 

and maintain various forms of insurance; collect and analyze worker data and benchmarks, 

conduct video, telephone and/or internet usage surveillance; and, otherwise conduct lawful 

business-related activities.

Category 4: Historical Personal and Family Identity Information Provided By You 

Through Self-Disclosure. Applicants for employment, new hires and existing employees are 

asked to provide information from Categories 1 to 3, as well as additional historical information 

about you, your education, your work experience, your skills, your military service and, if 

applicable, name and contact information your family, references, past supervisors and/or 

personal contacts. This information comes either directly from you, for instance, from your 

employment application and other employment-related documents you will out. We collect this 

information for various reasons, all associated with a valid business purpose. For example, 

Historical Personal and Family Identity Information Provided By You Through Self-Disclosure is 

collected for the purpose of considering your suitability for employment, to run consumer 

investigative report (background check), to verify your identity, to check your references, to 

populate and to administer employment-related documents for your employment, payroll, 

withholding, employee benefits, and/or your eligibility to work in the United States.

Category 5: Cookies and Other Computer Tracking Information. If you visit our Internet 

website, and/or our employment application or human resources management system, we may 

collect certain information about your Internet usage and your machine's identity and/or IP 

address. We collect this information for various reasons, all associated with a valid business 

purpose. For example, Cookies and Other Computer Tracking Information is collected for the 

purpose of permitting you access to our online employment application, to set up and provide 

access for you to HotlinkHR, our human resources management system, to verify your identity, 

to carry out our security measures to protect private information and/or to operate our 

computer systems or the computer systems of our service providers.

Category 6: Audio, Electronic Images and Electronic Information. If you enter the 

dealership premises and/or facility we may collect audio and video imaging of your activities 

while on the premises, including internet and network usage, and customer pay points 

throughout the store. We collect this information for the protection of our property, our 

customers and/or employees. We may use this information for law enforcement purposes 

and/or to investigate misconduct and/or crimes committed on the premises. We may also use 

this information for personnel matters, such as discipline and/or discharge.

Category 7: Inferences Drawn From Categories 1 Through 6 Above. For all information 

provided and/or obtained from Categories 1 through 6 above, we may draw inferences from 

such information to create a profile, summary and/or record of your performance, abilities, 

aptitude and/or general characteristics. We use this information for general employment

purposes, such as consideration for promotions and/or job positions and all the reasons set 

forth in Categories 1 through 6 above.

Since some of the information we gather is not private and is not publicly available, we take 

great care to ensure that this information is kept safe from unauthorized access, and we would 

never share the information in violation of any regulation or law.

Because we respect your privacy and values your trust, the only employees or companies who 

can access your private personal information are those who use it to service your personnel 

needs and/or the needs of our customers. We diligently maintain physical, electronic and 

procedural safeguards that comply with applicable federal and state standards to guard your 

private personal information and to assist us in preventing unauthorized access to that 

information. We never sell your data to anyone.

From time to time, for employment and general business purposes, such as to consider applicants 

for employment at our company or any of our Affiliates, to manage our personnel records, 

benefits and/or insurance coverage, or to permit requests or transfers between our Affiliates, we 

do share certain information with companies with whom we share any common ownership and/or 

control ("Affiliates"). The information we share might come from your employment application 

(for instance, your name, address and telephone number, etc.) or from other employment-related 

documents as outlined in Categories 1 to 6 above. We do not sell our Affiliates your data and do 

not allow the Affiliates to sell your data or use your data to market to you. You are not permitted 

to limit the sharing of this data. Our Affiliates are:

From time to time, for employment and general business purposes, such as to manage our 

personnel records, benefits and/or insurance coverage, we do share certain information with 

companies with whom we do business and specifically who provide employment related or 

insurance related services to our business or our employees (Business Partners)-e.g., our benefits 

provider, payroll company, management staff, insurance companies and our electronic human 

resource management provider. The information we share might come from your employment 

application (for instance, your name, address and telephone number, etc.) or from other 

employment-related documents as outlined in Categories 1 to 6 above.

These Business Partners are Non-Affiliates--that is, they are companies that are not related by 

common ownership or control with our company. These companies may include financial service 

providers such as banks, finance companies, insurance companies, and non-financial companies 

such as automobile manufacturers and data processing companies, payroll company, benefits 

administrators. However, we never sell your information/data to anyone or any entity and we 

require that our business partners promise in writing not to misuse and/or sell your data to 

anyone, nor use your data to market to you.

The information we may provide them comes from the sources described above and might 

include your biometric data, name, address, and phone number, among other information 

listed in Categories 1 to 6 herein.

We may also provide information to other companies that perform operational services related to 

your employment. The sharing of information with these types of companies is permitted by law. 

Such a company might include a company with whom we have a service agreement. This 

information also comes from the sources described above and might include name, address, and 

phone number, among other information.

These companies act on our behalf and, within the time required by law, will be required by our 

policy to be contractually obligated to keep the information that we provide to them 

confidential and to use the information only to provide the services we've asked them to 

perform for you or us. We do not sell your data to them. We do not allow those companies to 

sell your data or to use your data to market to you. You are not permitted to limit the sharing of 

this data.

Currently, our Non-Affiliates for human resources management purposes is HotlinkHR, Inc. 

(www.hrhotlink.com). For a complete list of Non-Affiliates once hired, please contact Human 

Resources or the General Manager.

Questions

If you have any questions for the information we collect and/or obtain regarding you or the 

security of such information, please contact Human Resources or the General Manager.