Legal

Privacy Policy

Written in plain language so you actually understand what we do with your information — no legal walls of text.

Last updated: June 22, 2026
1

Introduction

Trade Up is a Canadian skilled trades job board operated from Windsor, Ontario, Canada. We connect tradespeople with employers across all 13 provinces and territories.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect when you use Trade Up, why we collect it, how it is protected, and what rights you have over your own data.

By creating an account or using Trade Up, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our platform.
2

What Information We Collect

We only collect information that is necessary to run the platform and help you find work or hire tradespeople.

Job Seekers
  • Full name, email address, and phone number
  • Your trade, certifications, tickets, and apprenticeship status
  • Years of experience and skill level
  • Resume file (uploaded by you)
  • Work photos (uploaded by you, optional)
  • Location and job search radius
  • Application history and messages sent or received on the platform
Employers
  • Company name, contact name, email address, and phone number
  • Business location and province(s) of operation
  • Job postings you create
  • Subscription plan and billing information — full payment card details are handled directly by Stripe and are never stored on our servers
All Users
  • IP address and general device or browser information, used for security purposes only
  • Account activity logs such as logins, applications submitted, and job postings viewed
3

How We Use Your Information

  • To create and manage your account
  • To match job seekers with relevant job postings
  • To allow employers to find qualified tradespeople
  • To send transactional emails such as application confirmations, new message alerts, and account verification
  • To process subscription payments securely through Stripe
We do not sell your personal information to third parties — ever. We do not use your information for advertising or share it with data brokers.
4

Who Can See Your Information

Job Seekers
  • Your profile — trade, experience, certifications, and work photos — is visible to verified employers on the platform
  • Your email address and phone number are hidden by default and only shared with an employer after you accept a direct work offer from them
  • Your resume is only accessible through a secure, time-limited link — it is never posted to a public URL
Employers
  • Your company name and job posting details are publicly visible on the job board
  • Your personal contact information (name, email, phone) is not shown publicly on the platform
5

Data Storage and Security

  • All data is stored on secured, access-controlled servers
  • Resumes and work photos are stored in a private cloud storage bucket — files are served through temporary signed links that expire
  • Passwords are hashed using industry-standard methods and are never stored in plain text
  • All data transmitted between your device and Trade Up is encrypted via HTTPS
  • We perform regular security reviews to protect against unauthorized access
If we ever become aware of a security breach that could affect your data, we will notify affected users as required by Canadian law.
6

Data Retention

Under PIPEDA, we keep personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by Canadian law. The table below shows our current retention schedule.

  • Active account data — retained for the life of your account and deleted within 30 days of a verified account deletion request
  • Resumes and uploaded files — deleted within 30 days of account deletion; earlier deletion available on request
  • Application records and messages — retained for 12 months after the application closes, or account deletion, whichever comes first
  • Billing and subscription records — retained for 6 years to comply with CRA record-keeping requirements under the Income Tax Act
  • Security and access logs (IP addresses, login events) — retained for 90 days for fraud prevention and incident response, then deleted
  • Contact form submissions — retained for 2 years for support-history purposes
To request early deletion of your data, email support@gettradeup.ca with the subject line "Data Deletion Request." We will confirm deletion within 30 days.
7

Your Rights Under PIPEDA

Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) gives you specific rights over your personal information.

  • Access your data — Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you at any time
  • Correct your data — If any information we have is wrong or out of date, you can ask us to fix it
  • Delete your data — Withdraw consent and request that your account and all associated data be permanently deleted
  • Know how your data is used — Ask us to explain how we are using your personal information

To make any of these requests, contact us at support@gettradeup.ca. We will respond within 30 days.

If you're not satisfied with how we've handled a privacy request or concern, you also have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

8

Email Communications

Trade Up complies with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).

  • We will only send you promotional or marketing emails if you have explicitly opted in
  • Every marketing email includes a clear and working unsubscribe link — one click and you are off the list
  • Transactional emails — application confirmations, message alerts, account verification — are part of the service and will be sent while your account is active
9

Cookies

Cookies are small files saved to your browser that help websites remember who you are and what you prefer.

  • We use cookies to keep you logged in and remember your preferences like your last search filters
  • We do not use third-party advertising cookies — no tracking pixels, ad networks, or retargeting tools
  • You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though some features like staying logged in may not work without them
10

Third-Party Services

We use a small number of trusted third-party services to run Trade Up. None of them receive more information than they need to do their job.

Stripe
Handles all payment processing for employer subscriptions. Your card details go directly to Stripe and never pass through our servers.
Resend (email delivery)
Used to reliably deliver transactional and notification emails (account verification, application confirmations, message alerts). They receive your email address and the email content only.
Cloudflare
Provides security, performance, and DDoS protection. Cloudflare may process connection data such as IP addresses as part of blocking malicious traffic.
Cloudflare Turnstile
A privacy-preserving CAPTCHA alternative used on our sign-up, login, and contact forms to distinguish human users from automated bots. Turnstile does not use tracking cookies or build user profiles.
11

Children's Privacy

Trade Up is a platform for skilled tradespeople and employers. It is not intended for users under the age of 16.

If you are 16 or 17 years old, we recommend obtaining parental or guardian consent before creating an account.

If we become aware that we have collected personal information from someone under 16 without appropriate consent, we will delete that information promptly.

12

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as Trade Up grows and as laws change.

  • The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent version
  • If we make significant changes to what data we collect or how we share it, we will notify active users by email before the changes take effect
  • Continuing to use Trade Up after a policy update means you accept the revised terms
13

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, want to access or delete your data, or have a privacy concern, reach out to us directly.

We aim to respond to all privacy requests within 30 days.

You can also reach us through our general contact page.