BIOR Certification & Membership Terms & Conditions
The following constitute the terms and conditions of The British Institute of Recruiters membership for companies and individuals.
The following are the terms and conditions of the certification and membership programme operated by The British Institute of Recruiters (company number 07575583) (the “Institute”) for companies and individuals. In these terms, “membership” means certification and membership under that programme.
By applying for certification and membership you confirm that you have read and understood these terms and conditions and agree to be bound by them, and you acknowledge clause 13 (Status of certification and membership).
- General Terms
1.1 Membership is for a minimum period of one calendar year starting on the day you join.
1.2 Membership will be activated at point of approval and membership fee payment in full, or an agreed deposit if a payment plan has been offered and accepted in writing.
1.3 Where the member is a company, membership applies to all branches of the applying entity.
1.4 Payment can be made by credit card, cheque, BACS or Direct Debit. If membership payment remains outstanding, we will notify you by telephone, email, or letter. A receipted invoice will follow.
1.5 You may not transfer any of your rights and obligations under these terms and conditions to another person.
1.6 If membership is not renewed, all reference to the BIOR must be removed from your website, professional profiles and all documentation from the last date of your active membership.
1.7 BIOR reserves the right to publish the names of all non-members who display our logo and report them to relevant statutory bodies.
1.8 The Institute is a company limited by guarantee (company number 07575583) governed by its Articles of Association. The directors are responsible for the management of the Institute. Certification and membership under these terms is a contractual programme only and does not make you a member of the company or give you any role in its governance — see clause 13 (Status of certification and membership).
- Member obligations
2.1 As a member you warrant and represent to us that the following is true, and you will inform us within 7 days by email to support@ior.org or in writing if any of the following change:
– There are no circumstances of which you should reasonably be aware which would prevent these terms and conditions from being and forming legally binding obligations upon you
– All the information which you submit to The British Institute of Recruiters is complete, reliable, accurate, free from errors, and not misleading in any way, and will not infringe any third-party rights
– You have declared any unspent criminal convictions, insolvency, or undischarged bankruptcy
– You will not do, or omit to do, anything that might reasonably be expected to put us in breach of any Applicable Laws.
2.2 To ensure your continued fitness for membership against our Code of Professional & Ethical Conduct you are required to initially declare, and inform us within 7 days by email to support@ior.org or in writing if any of the following change:
– Your registered or trading names and addresses
– Where you are a company, changes to your directors as listed at Companies House
– Your bank details, if paying for membership by Direct Debit
– Any pending company, director or personal insolvency proceedings including but not limited to tribunals, court findings against you, administration, liquidation, winding up proceedings, receiverships, administrative receiverships, voluntary arrangements or undischarged bankruptcy
– Any undeclared unspent criminal convictions
– Any current findings against you or your company by a court, Government, or regulatory body.
- Data Protection
3.1 We process the personal data provided in your application in accordance with our Privacy Notice at https://ior.org/data-policy-controls-and-management-processes. We will contact you about your certification and membership and, where permitted by law, about our own similar services and events; you may opt out at any time via the unsubscribe link in every email or by emailing support@ior.org. We do not sell your data, and we will only send you offers from third parties where you have opted in to receive them.
- Membership Fees
4.1 Fees displayed on The British Institute of Recruiters website www.ior.org will always prevail.
4.2 The British Institute of Recruiters reserves the right to increase the price of the membership subscription on an annual basis. Members will be informed of any fee increase at the time of renewal.
- Membership Benefits
5.1 Members receive a wide range of benefits such as: full access to the members’ area of the BIOR website, a variety of resources to support your Continuing Professional Development, webinars, and events.
5.2 Membership packages may vary according to the type of membership.
5.3 We reserve the right to change the benefits that apply to BIOR membership at any time without prior notice.
5.4 Any external providers of a benefit included within your membership package will have absolute discretion in relation to the provision of services.
5.5 Services supplied by an external provider will be subject to the provider’s own terms and conditions, and we do not accept any liability for loss or damage suffered as a result of a fault, error or omission in the provision of these services.
5.6 We reserve the right to change our external providers without prior notice and our decision on services provided is final.
- Membership Renewals
6.1 We will contact you before your membership is due for renewal, detailing the expiry date of your current membership and the subscription due.
6.2 It is the member’s responsibility to advise The British Institute of Recruiters of their intention not to renew. We will send you a renewal reminder by email at least 30 days before your renewal date, stating the renewal fee and how to cancel. If your certification and membership subscriptions are paid by Direct Debit, we will automatically renew your certification and membership after 12 months and collect the monies for the coming subscription period unless you notify us that you do not wish to renew at least 14 days before your renewal date.
6.3 Payments not received within one month of becoming due will result in the membership being considered lapsed and all services may be suspended pending payment. However, membership charges will continue to accrue until resignation is received in writing, subject to the cancellation procedure outlined below.
6.4 Your renewal payment is confirmation of the continued acceptance of this contract for a further year as per these terms.
- Membership Suspension
7.1 False or inaccurate statements or information provided to the BIOR may result in the immediate suspension of your membership.
7.2 Non-payment of membership fees, renewal fees, payments for other services or Direct Debits could result in immediate membership suspension.
7.3 In the event of membership suspension, the BIOR will not refund any membership fees.
7A.1 The Institute may terminate any certification and membership: (a) on not less than 14 days’ written notice where the member is in material breach of these terms or of the Code of Professional & Ethical Conduct and (where the breach is capable of remedy) has failed to remedy it within that notice period; or (b) with immediate effect by written notice where the member has engaged in conduct which, in the reasonable opinion of the Institute, is prejudicial to the Institute, its members or the profession, or where any warranty or declaration given on application proves false or misleading.
7A.2 On termination under clause 7A.1, all rights under these terms cease, all use of the Institute’s designations and logo must stop immediately, and no fees will be refunded save at the Institute’s discretion. Termination is subject to the BIOR Complaints Procedure where the member invokes it within 14 days of the notice.
- Membership Cancellations & Refunds
8.1 To cancel your certification and membership, email support@ior.org. Cancellation takes effect on receipt of your email. Full refunds will not be given; refunds are as set out in clause 8.2, calculated from the start date of the current membership year.
8.2 Refunds for certification and membership fees are as follows: cancellation within 30 days of the start of the membership year — 70% refund; cancellation within 60 days of the start of the membership year — 25% refund; cancellation after 60 days — no refund.
- Certification Assessment & References
9.1 As part of your application you must confirm each of the following on the application form:
– You will comply with the BIOR Code of Professional & Ethical Conduct
– You agree to provide 1 client reference and 1 candidate reference
– You agree to be subject to the BIOR Certification Procedure
– You understand that the BIOR Certification Assessment must be taken when joining and every 5 years thereafter
– You understand that you must pass the BIOR Certification Assessment and provide the 2 references before you can use the BIOR logo.
- Liability
10.1 Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. Subject to that, The British Institute of Recruiters shall not be liable in contract, tort, negligence, breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, for any loss of profit, or any indirect or consequential loss arising under or in connection with your certification and membership, and The British Institute of Recruiters’ total liability in respect of all other losses arising under or in connection with your certification and membership shall not exceed the amount of your certification and membership fee.
- Variation of Terms & Conditions
11.1 These terms and conditions may be revised from time to time. If they are revised, members will be notified by email, and material changes will be notified at least 30 days before they take effect. It is your responsibility to keep up to date with all such changes, and your continued certification and membership shall be deemed acceptance of any changes to these terms and conditions.
- Membership Contract
12.1 By submitting your certification and membership application, you are making an offer to enrol in the Institute’s certification and membership programme which, if accepted by The British Institute of Recruiters, will result in a legally binding contract.
- Status of Certification and Membership
13.1 Certification and membership under these terms is a contractual programme of professional certification, services and benefits provided by The British Institute of Recruiters (company number 07575583) (the “Institute”). It does not constitute, and shall not be construed as, membership of the Institute as a company within the meaning of section 112 of the Companies Act 2006 or under the Institute’s articles of association.
13.2 Accordingly, certification and membership confers no right to receive notice of, attend, speak or vote at any general meeting of the Institute; no right to participate in the governance of the Institute; no interest in the income, property or assets of the Institute; and no entitlement on any winding up of the Institute.
13.3 Completion or submission of an application form, payment of fees, acceptance of an application, use of the Institute’s designations or logo, and the description of the programme as “membership” do not constitute an application for, approval of, or admission to membership of the company under Article 21 of the Institute’s articles of association, and no person shall be entered in the Institute’s register of members by reason of participation in the programme.
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Governing Law
14.1 These terms, the application, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them (including non-contractual disputes) are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction.