Privacy Policy

Ontools Inc. (“Ontools”, “we”, “us”) connects Canadian construction workers with employers. To do that we need personal information from the people who register. This policy explains what we collect, why, who sees it, where it is kept, and what you can ask us to do with it. It applies to the Ontools member platform at app.ontoolsapp.com.

We handle personal information in line with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

1. What we collect

From everyone who registers

• Your name, email address and mobile number.
• A password. We store only a one-way hash of it — nobody at Ontools can read your password.
• The date and time you accepted our Terms and Conditions.

From workers

• Your home address.
• Your business details as a self-employed contractor: company name and type, and GST/HST number, if you have them.
• Your trade, level, the kind of work you want, the pay you expect, when you are available and where you are willing to work.
• The tickets and certifications you hold, and their expiry dates if you give them.
• Up to four references: the company or client, a contact name and a phone number.
• Anything you choose to write about yourself.
• Your gender, only if you choose to tell us. It is optional and you can leave it blank.

From employers

• Your company name and address.
• The workforce requests you send us: the jobsite and its location, the trades and number of workers you need, the pay offered, dates, required certifications and any accommodation or allowance.

Automatically

• When you sign in we set one cookie to keep you signed in (see section 6).
• Our web server keeps standard logs of requests: IP address, browser type, the page requested and the time.
• We record when you last signed in.

We do not collect payment card details on this platform. Payments between employers and Ontools are handled separately, as described in our Terms and Conditions.

2. Why we collect it

• To create your account and keep it secure.
• To review registrations before an account is approved.
• To match workers to employers’ workforce requests.
• To contact you about your account, a placement or a request.
• To meet our legal, tax and insurance obligations.

We do not sell personal information, and we do not use it for advertising. Matching is done by Ontools staff, not by automated decision-making.

3. Who sees it

• Ontools staff who review accounts and arrange placements.
• Employers, when we put a worker forward for a job. We share what the employer needs to assess the placement, such as the worker’s name, trade, level and relevant certifications. Employers cannot browse or search worker profiles on the platform.
• Workers, when they are offered a placement: the jobsite details they need to do the work.
• Your references, if we contact them. Please make sure anyone you list is happy to be contacted.
• Our hosting provider, Akamai (Linode), which operates the server the platform runs on.
• Google, in a limited way: the platform loads its typefaces from Google Fonts, so your browser contacts Google’s servers and Google receives your IP address. No account or profile information is sent.
• Authorities, where the law requires us to disclose information.

4. Where it is kept and how it is protected

• The platform and its database run on a server located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• All traffic between your browser and the platform is encrypted (HTTPS).
• The database is not reachable from the internet; only the platform itself can connect to it.
• Passwords are stored as Argon2id hashes, and sign-in sessions are stored in hashed form.
• Access to member information is limited to authorised Ontools staff.
• Backups are taken nightly, kept on the same server in Canada, and deleted after 14 days.

No system is perfectly secure. If a breach of our safeguards creates a real risk of significant harm to you, we will notify you and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, as the law requires.

5. How long we keep it

We keep your information for as long as your account is open. If you ask us to close your account we will delete your profile, except for records we are required by law to keep — for example, records of payments and placements. Deleted information drops out of our backups within 14 days.

6. Cookies

We use one cookie, ontools_session, which keeps you signed in. It is essential for the platform to work, it lasts up to 30 days or until you sign out, and it cannot be read by scripts in your browser. We do not use advertising or analytics cookies.

7. Your rights

• See what we hold. Workers can see and edit their full profile at any time after signing in; employers can see their details and requests. You can also ask us for a copy of the information we hold about you.
• Correct it. Edit it yourself, or ask us to.
• Withdraw consent and close your account. Email us and we will close the account and delete your information, subject to the legal exceptions in section 5.
• Complain. If you are not satisfied with how we handle a request, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca.

We respond to access and correction requests within 30 days.

8. Age

You must be at least 16 years old to use the platform, as set out in our Terms and Conditions.

9. Changes to this policy

If we change how we handle personal information we will update this page and the date at the top.

10. Contact

For any privacy question or request, contact us at info@ontoolsapp.com.