Terms & Conditions

Welcome to Workstem, an online Human Resources management service designed especially for small businesses. These Terms of Use are intended to explain our obligations as a service provider and Your obligations as a customer. Please read them carefully.

These Terms are binding on any use of the Service and apply to You from the time that Workstem provides You with access to the Service.

The Workstem Service will evolve over time based on user feedback. These Terms are not intended to answer every question or address every issue raised by the use of the Workstem Service. Workstem reserves the right to change these terms at any time, effective upon the posting of modified terms and Workstem will make every effort to communicate these changes to You via email or notification via the Website. It is likely the terms of use will change over time. It is Your obligation to ensure that You have read, understood and agree to the most recent terms available on the Website.

By registering to use the Service you acknowledge that You have read and understood these Terms and have the authority to act on behalf of any person for whom You are using the Service. You are deemed to have agreed to these Terms on behalf of any entity for whom you use the Service.

These Terms were last updated on 2 Aug 2019 to change the method for providing notice to Workstem and submitting support queries. The changes will be effective immediately.

1. Definitions

“Agreement”

means these Terms of Use.

“Access Fee”

means the monthly fee (excluding any taxes and duties) payable by You in accordance with the Fee Schedule.

“Confidential Information”

includes all information exchanged between the parties to this Agreement, whether in writing, electronically or orally, including the Service but does not include information which is, or becomes, publicly available other than through unauthorised disclosure by the other party.

“Data”

means any data inputted by You or with Your authority into the Website.

“Fee Schedule”

means the information relating to subscriptions and billing set out on the Workstem subscriptions and billing pages on the Website, or any other page(s) on the Website notified by Workstem, which may be updated or amended by Workstem from time to time.

“Intellectual Property Right”

means any patent, trademark, service mark, copyright, moral right, right in a design, know-how and any other intellectual or industrial property rights, anywhere in the world whether or not registered.

“Service”

means the online Human Resources management services made available (as may be changed or updated from time to time by Workstem) via the Website.

“Website”

means the Internet site at the domain www.Workstem.com or any other site operated by Workstem.

“Invited User”

means any person or entity, other than the Subscriber, that uses the Service with the authorisation of the Subscriber from time to time.

“Subscriber”

means the person who registers to use the Service, and, where the context permits, includes any entity on whose behalf that person registers to use the Service.

“You”

means the Subscriber, and where the context permits, an Invited User. “Your” has a corresponding meaning.

2. Use of Software

Workstem grants You the right to access and use the Service via the Website with the particular user roles available to You according to Your subscription type. This right is non-exclusive, non-transferable, and limited by and subject to this Agreement. You acknowledge and agree that, subject to any applicable written agreement between the Subscriber and the Invited Users, or any other applicable laws:

  1. the Subscriber determines who is an Invited User and what level of user role access to the relevant organization and Service that Invited User has;
  2. the Subscriber is responsible for all Invited Users’ use of the Service;
  3. the Subscriber controls each Invited User’s level of access to the relevant organization and Service at all times and can revoke or change an Invited User’s access, or level of access, at any time and for any reason, in which case that person or entity will cease to be an Invited User or shall have that different level of access, as the case may be;
  4. if there is any dispute between a Subscriber and an Invited User regarding access to any organization or Service, the Subscriber shall decide what access or level of access to the relevant Data or Service that Invited User shall have, if any.

3. Your Obligations

1. Payment obligations:

An invoice for the Access Fee will be issued each month in accordance with the details set out in the Fee Schedule. Workstem will continue invoicing You in accordance with the Fee Schedule until this Agreement is terminated in accordance with clause 8.

All Workstem invoices will be sent to You, or to a Billing Contact whose details are provided by You, by email. Payment of all amounts specified in an invoice must be paid in accordance with the Fee Schedule. You are responsible for payment of all taxes and duties in addition to the Access Fee.

2. General obligations:

You must only use the Service and Website for Your own lawful internal business purposes, in accordance with these Terms and any notice sent by Workstem or condition posted on the Website. You may use the Service and Website on behalf of others or in order to provide services to others but if You do so you must ensure that You are authorized to do so and that all persons for whom or to whom services are provided comply with and accept all terms of this Agreement that apply to You.

3. Access conditions:
  1. You must ensure that all usernames and passwords required to access the Service are kept secure and confidential. You must immediately notify Workstem of any unauthorized use of Your passwords or any other breach of security and Workstem will reset Your password and You must take all other actions that Workstem reasonably deems necessary to maintain or enhance the security of Workstem’s computing systems and networks and Your access to the Services.
  2. As a condition of these Terms, when accessing and using the Services, You must:

i. not attempt to undermine the security or integrity of Workstem’s computing systems or networks or, where the Services are hosted by a third party, that third party’s computing systems and networks;

ii. not use, or misuse, the Services in any way which may impair the functionality of the Services or Website, or other systems used to deliver the Services or impair the ability of any other user to use the Services or Website;

iii. not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any materials other than those to which You have been given express permission to access or to the computer system on which the Services are hosted;

iv. not transmit, or input into the Website, any files that may damage any other person’s computing devices or software, content that may be offensive, or material or Data in violation of any law (including Data or other material protected by copyright or trade secrets which You do not have the right to use); and

v. not attempt to modify, copy, adapt, reproduce, disassemble, decompile or reverse engineer any computer programs used to deliver the Services or to operate the Website except as is strictly necessary to use either of them for normal operation.

4. Communication Conditions:

As a condition of these Terms, if You use any communication tools available through the Website (such as any forum, chat room or message center), You agree only to use such communication tools for lawful and legitimate purposes. You must not use any such communication tool for posting or disseminating any material unrelated to the use of the Services, including (but not limited to): offers of goods or services for sale, unsolicited commercial email, files that may damage any other person’s computing devices or software, content that may be offensive to any other users of the Services or the Website, or material in violation of any law (including material that is protected by copyright or trade secrets which You do not have the right to use).

When You make any communication on the Website, You represent that You are permitted to make such communication. Workstem is under no obligation to ensure that the communications on the Website are legitimate or that they are related only to the use of the Services. As with any other web-based forum, You must exercise caution when using the communication tools available on the Website. However, Workstem does reserve the right to remove any communication at any time in its sole discretion.

4. Indemnity

You indemnify Workstem against: direct claims, costs, damage and loss arising from Your breach of any of these Terms or any obligation You may have to Workstem, including any costs relating to the recovery of any Access Fees that are due but have not been paid by You.

5. Confidentiality and Privacy

1. Confidentiality:

Unless the relevant party has the prior written consent of the other or unless required to do so by law:

1. Each party will preserve the confidentiality of all Confidential Information of the other obtained in connection with these Terms. Neither party will, without the prior written consent of the other, disclose or make any Confidential Information available to any person, or use the same for its own benefit, other than as contemplated by these Terms.

2. Each party’s obligations under this clause will survive termination of these Terms.

3. The provisions of clauses 5.1.1 and 5.1.2 shall not apply to any information which:

i. is or becomes public knowledge other than by a breach of this clause;

ii. is received from a third party who lawfully acquired it and who is under no obligation restricting its disclosure;

iii. is in the possession of the receiving party without restriction in relation to disclosure before the date of receipt from the disclosing party; or

iv. is independently developed without access to the Confidential Information.

2. Privacy:

Workstem maintains a privacy policy that sets out the parties’ obligations in respect of personal information. You should read that policy at www.workstem.com/privacy-policy/ and You will be taken to have accepted that policy when You accept these Terms.

6. Intellectual Property

1. General:

Title to, and all Intellectual Property Rights in the Services, the Website and any documentation relating to the Services remain the property of Workstem.

2. Ownership of Data:

Title to, and all Intellectual Property Rights in, the Data remain Your property. However, Your access to the Data is contingent on full payment of the Workstem Access Fee when due. You grant Workstem a licence to use, copy, transmit, store, and back-up Your information and Data for the purposes of enabling You to access and use the Services and for any other purpose related to provision of services to You.

3. Backup of Data:

You must maintain copies of all Data inputted into the Service. Workstem adheres to its best practice policies and procedures to prevent data loss, but does not make any guarantees that there will be no loss of Data. Workstem expressly excludes liability for any loss of Data no matter how caused.

7. Warranties and Acknowledgements

1. Authority:

You warrant that where You have registered to use the Service on behalf of another person, You have the authority to agree to these Terms on behalf of that person and agree that by registering to use the Service You bind the person on whose behalf You act to the performance of any and all obligations that You become subject to by virtue of these Terms, without limiting Your own personal obligations under these Terms.

2. Acknowledgement:

You acknowledge that:

1. You are authorized to use the Services and the Website and to access the information and Data that You input into the Website, including any information or Data input into the Website by any person you have authorized to use the Service. You are also authorized to access the processed information and Data that is made available to You through Your use of the Website and the Services (whether that information and Data is Your own or that of anyone else).

2. Workstem has no responsibility to any person other than You and nothing in this Agreement confers, or purports to confer, a benefit on any person other than You. If You use the Services or access the Website on behalf of or for the benefit of anyone other than yourself you agree that:

i. You are responsible for ensuring that You have the right to do so;

ii. You are responsible for authorizing any person who is given access to information or Data, and you agree that Workstem has no obligation to provide any person access to such information or Data without Your authorization and may refer any requests for information to You to address; and

iii. You will indemnify Workstem against any claims or loss relating to:

i. Workstem’s refusal to provide any person access to Your information or Data in accordance with these Terms,

ii. Workstem’s making available information or Data to any person with Your authorization.

3. The provision of, access to, and use of, the Services is on an “as is ” basis and at Your own risk.

4. Workstem does not warrant that the use of the Service will be uninterrupted or error free. Among other things, the operation and availability of the systems used for accessing the Service, including public telephone services, computer networks and the Internet, can be unpredictable and may from time to time interfere with or prevent access to the Services. Workstem is not in any way responsible for any such interference or prevention of Your access or use of the Services.

5. Workstem is not Your Human Resources officer and use of the Services does not constitute the receipt of Human Resources advice. If You have any Human Resources questions, please contact a professional Human Resources Officer.

6. It is Your sole responsibility to determine that the Services meet the needs of Your business and are suitable for the purposes for which they are used.

7. You remain solely responsible for complying with all applicable Human Resources and labour laws. It is Your responsibility to check that storage of and access to your Data via the Software and the Website will comply with laws applicable to you (including any laws requiring you to retain records).

3. No warranties:

Workstem gives no warranty about the Services. Without limiting the foregoing, Workstem does not warrant that the Services will meet Your requirements or that it will be suitable for any particular purpose. To avoid doubt, all implied conditions or warranties are excluded in so far as is permitted by law, including (without limitation) warranties of merchantability, fitness for purpose, title and non-infringement.

4. Limitation of Liability

1. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Workstem excludes all liability and responsibility to You (or any other person) in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise, for any loss (including loss of information, Data, profits and savings) or damage resulting, directly or indirectly, from any use of, or reliance on, the Service or Website.

2. If You suffer loss or damage as a result of Workstem’s negligence or failure to comply with these Terms, any claim by You against Workstem arising from Workstem’s negligence or failure will be limited in respect of any one incident, or series of connected incidents, to the Access Fees paid by You in the previous 12 months.

3. If You are not satisfied with the Service, Your sole and exclusive remedy is to terminate these Terms in accordance with Clause 8.

8. Termination

1. Trial policy

When You first sign up for access to the Services You can evaluate the Services under the defined trial usage conditions, with no obligation to continue to use the Services. If You choose to continue using the Services thereafter, You will be billed when You first add Your billing details into the Services, as set out in more detail in the Fee Schedule. If You choose not to continue using the Services, You may cancel your subscription in the ‘Subscription Plan’ section of the Services.

2. Prepaid Subscriptions

Workstem will not provide any refund for any remaining prepaid period for a prepaid Access Fee subscription.

3. No-fault termination:

These Terms will continue for the period covered by the Access Fee paid or payable under clause 3.1. At the end of each billing period these Terms will automatically continue for another period of the same duration as that period, provided You continue to pay the prescribed Access Fee in accordance with the Fee Schedule, unless either party terminates these Terms by giving at least one month’s advance written notice. If You elect to terminate these Terms by providing one month’s’ advance written notice, You shall be liable to pay all relevant Access Fees up to and including the day of termination of these Terms.

4. Breach:

If You:

1. breach any of these Terms and do not remedy the breach within 14 days after receiving notice of the breach if the breach is capable of being remedied;

2. breach any of these Terms and the breach is not capable of being remedied (which includes (without limitation) any payment of Access Fees that are not paid in full in accordance with the requirements set out in the Fee Schedule); or

3. You or Your business become insolvent or Your business goes into liquidation or has a receiver or manager appointed of any of its assets or if You become insolvent, or make any arrangement with Your creditors, or become subject to any similar insolvency event in any jurisdiction,

Workstem may take any or all of the following actions, at its sole discretion:

4. Terminate this Agreement and Your use of the Services and the Website;

5. Suspend for any definite or indefinite period of time, Your use of the Services and the Website;

6. Suspend or terminate access to all or any Data.

7. Take either of the actions in sub-clauses (1), (2) and (3) of this clause 8 in respect of any or all other persons whom You have authorized to have access to Your information or Data.

For the avoidance of doubt, if payment of any invoice for Access Fees due in relation to any of Your Billing Contacts, Billing Plans or any of Your Organizations (as defined at clause 3) is not made in accordance with the requirements set out in the Fee Schedule, Workstem may: suspend or terminate Your use of the Service, the authority for all or any of Your Organizations to use the Service, or Your rights of access to all or any Data.

5. Accrued Rights:

Termination of these Terms is without prejudice to any rights and obligations of the parties accrued up to and including the date of termination. On termination of this Agreement You will:

1. remain liable for any accrued charges and amounts which become due for payment before or after termination; and

2. immediately cease to use the Services and the Website.

9. Help Desk

1. Technical Problems:

In the case of technical problems You must make all reasonable efforts to investigate and diagnose problems before contacting Workstem. If You still need technical help, please check the support provided online by Workstem on the Website or failing that contact us via the help.workstem.com website.

2. Service availability:

Whilst Workstem intends that the Services should be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it is possible that on occasions the Services or Website may be unavailable to permit maintenance or other development activity to take place.

If for any reason Workstem has to interrupt the Services for longer periods than Workstem would normally expect, Workstem will use reasonable endeavours to publish in advance details of such activity on the Website.

10. General

1. Entire agreement:

These Terms, together with the Workstem Privacy Policy and the terms of any other notices or instructions given to You under these Terms of Use, supersede and extinguish all prior agreements, representations (whether oral or written), and understandings and constitute the entire agreement between You and Workstem relating to the Services and the other matters dealt with in these Terms.

2. Waiver:

If either party waives any breach of these Terms, this will not constitute a waiver of any other breach. No waiver will be effective unless made in writing.

3. Delays:

Neither party will be liable for any delay or failure in performance of its obligations under these Terms if the delay or failure is due to any cause outside its reasonable control. This clause does not apply to any obligation to pay money.

4. No Assignment:

You may not assign or transfer any rights to any other person without Workstem’s prior written consent.

5. Governing law and jurisdiction:

Except as expressly provided otherwise, this Agreement is exclusively governed by, and will be construed under the laws of the Hong Kong SAR, without regard to choice of law principles. Any arbitration necessary will be conducted in Hong Kong and be subject to Hong Kong laws too.

6. Notices:

Any notice given under these Terms to you by Workstem will be sent to the email address that You provided when setting up Your access to the Service, and will be deemed to have been given upon transmission. Any notice given under these Terms to Workstem by You must be submitted in writing via the help.workstem.com website, and will be deemed to have been given upon successful submission.

7. Rights of Third Parties:

A person who is not a party to these Terms has no right to benefit under or to enforce any term of these Terms.

8. Accuracy

Any information imported into Your Workstem account will be a reflection of the information held with Your original information. We aren’t responsible for any inaccuracy or incompleteness of this information.

These additional terms applying to Human Resources management services are concluded in English and all information and notifications under these additional terms will also be in English.