Privacy Policy
Hard Hat Hippo LLC, a Maryland limited liability company ("Hard Hat Hippo," "we," "us," "our"), operates hardhathippo.com. This policy explains what data we collect, why, and your rights.
We built this for tradespeople and contractors. We're going to keep this readable — not bury it in lawyer-speak.
What We Collect
From Workers (Job Seekers)
When you create a profile, we collect: your name, phone number, email (optional), trade, experience level, certifications, location (ZIP code), availability status, and optional work photos. We do NOT require a resume — your skills-based profile is all we need.
From Employers
When you sign up, we collect: company name, contact name, phone number, email, company size, location, and payment information (processed by Stripe — we never see your full card number).
Automatically
We use Plausible Analytics (privacy-friendly, no personal data collected). We log page views, job views, and application events — but not your identity. We use essential cookies only (login session, dark/light mode preference).
How We Use Your Data
- Match workers with jobs based on trade, location, and certifications
- Send SMS notifications about new jobs, applications, and account updates
- Process employer payments via Stripe
- Improve the platform based on aggregate, anonymous usage patterns
We do NOT sell your data. We do NOT use your data for targeted advertising. We do NOT share your data with staffing agencies.
Third-Party Services
We share limited data with these services to operate the platform:
- Stripe — Payment processing for employer subscriptions. They see billing info only.
- Twilio — SMS delivery. They see phone numbers and message content.
- Supabase — Database hosting. They store all platform data on encrypted servers.
- Vercel — Website hosting. They see web traffic but not personal data.
- Appcast — Programmatic job feeds. They see anonymized click data for jobs sourced through their network.
SMS Communication
Job-alert and reminder texts are optional: we send them only if you tick the "Text me job alerts" box when you sign up (it is not ticked for you). We may also text the number you give us about your own account, such as an employer viewing or messaging you about your application, or billing and trial notices for employers. See our SMS Terms and the SMS Opt-In page for details. Reply STOP to any message to stop all texts. We do not share mobile phone numbers or text-message opt-in data with third parties or affiliates for their marketing.
Your Rights (CCPA / State Privacy Laws)
If you're a California resident (or live in another state with privacy laws), you have the right to:
- Know what personal data we have about you
- Request deletion of your data
- Opt out of data sharing (we don't sell data, but you can still ask)
- Not be discriminated against for exercising these rights
To exercise any of these rights, email support@hardhathippo.com. We'll respond within 45 days.
Data Security
All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest. Passwords are hashed with bcrypt. Payment data is handled entirely by Stripe (PCI DSS Level 1). We use row-level security in our database — your data is only accessible to you and authorized parties.
Data Retention
Worker profiles are kept until you delete your account. Employer data is kept for the duration of the subscription plus 90 days. Job listings expire after 30 days and are archived. SMS logs are retained for 1 year for compliance, then deleted.
Children
Hard Hat Hippo is not intended for anyone under 16. We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If you believe a minor has created an account, contact us at support@hardhathippo.com.
Changes
We may update this policy. If we make significant changes, we'll notify you by SMS or email. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.
Contact
Questions? Email support@hardhathippo.com
Hard Hat Hippo LLC · 14019 Falls Rd, Cockeysville, MD 21030