Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

JobMatch ABN [XX XXX XXX XXX] ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use our platform.

JobMatch is bound by the APPs contained in the Privacy Act 1988. This policy sets out how we handle personal information and sensitive information in accordance with those principles.

2. Information We Collect

Personal Information

We collect information that you provide directly to us, including:

• Name, email address, and contact information
• Professional qualifications, trade skills, and licenses
• Work experience and employment history
• Location and availability preferences
• Profile photos and company logos
• Payment and billing information

Automatically Collected Information

We automatically collect certain information when you use our platform:

• IP address and device information
• Browser type and operating system
• Usage data and analytics
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our services
• Match apprentices with employers
• Process transactions and send notifications
• Communicate with you about our services
• Analyze usage patterns and improve user experience
• Prevent fraud and ensure platform security
• Comply with legal obligations

4. Information Sharing

We may share your information with:

• Matched Users: Employers and apprentices you are matched with
• Service Providers: Third-party vendors who assist in operating our platform
• Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect our rights
• Business Transfers: In connection with mergers, acquisitions, or asset sales

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Regular security audits and assessments
• Access controls and authentication measures
• Secure payment processing through trusted providers

6. Your Rights Under the Privacy Act

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

• Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you (APP 12)
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, or misleading information (APP 13)
• Erasure: Request deletion of your account and personal data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time (Spam Act 2003)
• Anonymity: Where practicable, you may interact with us anonymously or use a pseudonym (APP 2)
• Complain: Lodge a complaint about our handling of your personal information

We will respond to access and correction requests within 30 days. If we refuse your request, we will provide written reasons and inform you of your right to complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

JobMatch uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, provide secure services, and improve our platform. This section explains what cookies we use and how you can manage them.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our website. They help us recognize your browser and remember information about your visit, such as your preferences and login status.

Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies (Always Active)

These cookies are necessary for the platform to function and cannot be disabled. They include:

• Session Cookies: Keep you logged in as you navigate the platform
• Security Cookies: Protect against cross-site request forgery (CSRF) and other security threats
• Cookie Consent: Remember your cookie preferences
• Load Balancing: Distribute traffic across our servers for optimal performance

Legal Basis: These cookies are necessary for the performance of our contract with you and to ensure security (APP 3).

Functional Cookies (Optional)

These cookies enhance functionality and personalization but are not essential. They include:

• Preference Cookies: Remember your language, region, and display preferences
• Feature Cookies: Enable enhanced features like video playback and chat functionality

Legal Basis: Your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

Analytics Cookies (Optional - Requires Consent)

These cookies help us understand how users interact with our platform so we can improve it. They collect information such as:

• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Features used and navigation patterns
• Error messages and technical issues encountered
• Browser type, device type, and screen resolution

We may use third-party analytics services such as Google Analytics. These services may use cookies to collect information in an anonymous form.

Legal Basis: Your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

Marketing Cookies (Optional - Requires Consent)

These cookies track your online activity to help deliver more relevant advertising and measure campaign effectiveness. We currently do not use marketing cookies, but if we do in the future, we will:

• Request your explicit consent before placing marketing cookies
• Provide clear information about third-party advertising partners
• Allow you to opt-out at any time

Legal Basis: Your consent (Spam Act 2003, APP 7).

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You have several options to manage cookies:

• Cookie Consent Banner: When you first visit JobMatch, a banner appears allowing you to accept all cookies or reject non-essential cookies
• Browser Settings: Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies through their settings menu
• Opt-Out Tools: You can opt out of analytics tracking through tools like the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on

Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on our platform are placed by third-party service providers, including:

• Payment Processors: Stripe and PayPal may place cookies during checkout
• Analytics Providers: If you consent, analytics services may place cookies
• Social Media: If you use social login features, social media platforms may place cookies

These third parties have their own privacy policies, and we encourage you to review them.

Cookie Retention Periods

• Session Cookies: Deleted when you close your browser
• Persistent Cookies: Remain for a set period (typically 12 months) or until you delete them
• Cookie Consent: Stored for 365 days to remember your preferences

Impact of Disabling Cookies

If you disable cookies, some features of JobMatch may not function properly, including:

• Staying logged in across sessions
• Saving your preferences and settings
• Certain interactive features and forms

Essential cookies cannot be disabled as they are necessary for the platform to function securely.

Updates to Cookie Policy

We may update our use of cookies from time to time. When we make significant changes, we will notify you through the cookie consent banner and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations. When you delete your account, we will remove or anonymize your personal data, except where retention is required by law.

9. Children's Privacy

Our platform is not intended for individuals under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

10. Cross-Border Disclosure of Personal Information

In accordance with APP 8, we may disclose your personal information to overseas recipients, including:

• Cloud storage providers (e.g., AWS servers located in Singapore, United States)
• Payment processors (Stripe - United States, PayPal - United States)
• Customer support services and analytics providers

Before disclosing your personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure that overseas recipients comply with the APPs or are subject to substantially similar privacy protections. You consent to these overseas disclosures when using our platform.

11. Notifiable Data Breaches

In accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme under the Privacy Act 1988, we will notify you and the OAIC if we experience a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm to you. We maintain incident response procedures to detect, contain, and respond to data breaches promptly.

12. Marketing and Direct Communication

We comply with the Spam Act 2003 and Australian Privacy Principles when sending marketing communications. We will:

• Only send marketing emails with your consent
• Include our contact information and an unsubscribe function in all marketing emails
• Process unsubscribe requests within 5 business days
• Not send commercial electronic messages from disguised or false addresses

13. Complaints Process

If you have a complaint about how we handle your personal information:

1. Contact Us: Email [email protected] with details of your complaint
2. Investigation: We will investigate your complaint within 30 days
3. Response: We will provide a written response outlining our findings and any corrective action
4. OAIC Complaint: If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at www.oaic.gov.au or call 1300 363 992

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on our website with a new "Last updated" date
• Sending an email notification to registered users (where required by law)
• Displaying a prominent notice on the platform

Your continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Contact Us and Privacy Officer

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or make a complaint, please contact our Privacy Officer:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):