Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 2026
SpareMinds Consulting Services Inc. ("SpareMinds," "we," "us," or "our") respects the privacy of every individual who visits spareminds.ca, submits a candidacy through our site, or engages with our staffing services. This policy sets out how we collect, use, store, and protect personal information in compliance with the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000, the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and, where applicable, Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).
1. Information We Collect
From Website Visitors
When you visit spareminds.ca, we may automatically collect: your IP address and browser type; pages viewed and time spent on each page; the referral source (e.g., LinkedIn, Google). This information is used solely to understand site usage trends and improve our content. We do not use cookies for advertising or retargeting purposes.
From Job Candidates & Applicants
When you submit your resume, complete an application form, contact us about a career opportunity, or participate in our screening process, we collect: full name, email address, phone number; work history, educational background, and professional certifications; technical skills, software proficiencies, and clearance status; responses to scenario-based or technical assessment questions; reference contact details (collected only after you authorize us to approach them). We collect this information because it is necessary for us to perform our core business — connecting qualified IT professionals with Ontario's enterprise and public-sector employers — and because the Employment Standards Act requires Temporary Help Agencies to maintain accurate records of applicants and placed workers.
2. Candidate Consent Separation Principle
SpareMinds operates a strict candidate-first consent model. This means:
- No resume is submitted to a client without your explicit, prior permission. We will always show you the job requirement brief before we approach a client on your behalf, and we will confirm that you authorize us to share your name and contact details for that specific opportunity.
- You may withdraw consent at any time. If you no longer wish for us to represent you for an active role or for future opportunities, simply email info@spareminds.ca and we will halt all submissions immediately.
- References are not contacted without your approval. We only reach out to the references you provide and only after you have confirmed that it is appropriate to do so.
- Your data stays confidential within our practice. Your resume and assessment records are accessible only to SpareMinds staffing professionals involved in your placement — they are never shared with third-party databases or public-facing listings.
3. PHIPA Healthcare Compliance & 'Agent' Status
For clients in the health, life sciences, or critical-infrastructure sectors, we may encounter situations where candidate screening touches on personal health information (e.g., fitness-for-duty assessments, vaccine verification for hospital-based placements, or accommodations under the Ontario Human Rights Code).
In those circumstances:
- SpareMinds acts exclusively as an Agent. We do not collect, store, ingest, or create patient health records on behalf of any client. Any health-related information provided during our candidate screening process is gathered solely to confirm employment eligibility or workplace accommodation needs, and it is handled under PIPEDA and the Employment Standards Act — not as a custodian of personal health information under PHIPA.
- Health data is segregated. If we receive health-related documents (e.g., a doctor's note for a workplace accommodation), that data is stored separately from general personnel files, accessible only to the HR professional managing your case, and destroyed or returned to you once the employment need has been fulfilled.
- We will never request more health information than strictly necessary. If a client requires medical verification beyond what we are permitted to collect, we direct them to obtain that documentation directly from the candidate through their own HR channels.
4. How We Use Your Information
We use collected personal information for: matching qualified candidates with active staffing or consulting requirements; conducting technical and behavioral assessments; scheduling interviews between you and potential client organizations; maintaining compliance records required under the Employment Standards Act and Ontario Temporary Help Agency regulations; communicating about your candidacy, job opportunities, or SpareMinds services; fulfilling your inquiry through our contact form (name, email, and message are forwarded to our team via a secure third-party service).
We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information to any third party.
5. Data Retention
- Website inquiries (contact form submissions): retained for up to 24 months unless you request earlier deletion.
- Active candidate profiles: retained while we are actively placing you or while a live requirement exists that matches your skills profile. If no placement occurs within 18 months, we will contact you before purging your file.
- Placed workers (contractors / consultants): personnel records retained for the duration of the engagement plus seven years, as required by Ontario employment law and professional liability standards.
6. Data Security
We protect personal information with reasonable organizational, technical, and physical safeguards: encrypted transmission (TLS/SSL) for all forms, restricted access to digital files, and secure off-site backups. No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we apply industry-standard controls appropriate to the sensitivity of the data we manage.
7. Your Rights Under PIPEDA & Ontario Law
You have the right to: access the personal information we hold about you (request by emailing info@spareminds.ca); correct inaccuracies in your file at any time; withdraw consent for further processing or disclosure, without affecting services already delivered; request deletion of non-retained records, subject to our legal retention obligations under the Employment Standards Act. We will respond to all valid requests within 30 calendar days.
8. Contact — Privacy Officer
For privacy-related questions, data access requests, or to exercise any right described in this policy:
Attn: Privacy Officer
SpareMinds Consulting Services Inc.
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Email: info@spareminds.ca
