Privacy Policy

1. Overview

LayoffTrends ("we", "us", "our") operates the website at layofftrends.com. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and protect information when you use our website and services. By using LayoffTrends, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not run advertisements that track you across other websites. Our business model is based on contextual advertising and community engagement, not data exploitation.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the minimum information necessary to provide our services:

• Account information — When you sign in via Google or Email, we collect your name and email address to create your account
• Experience submissions — When you submit a layoff experience, we store your rating, written experience, and optional details (job title, location, LinkedIn URL)
• Helpful votes — We record which experiences you have marked as helpful to prevent duplicate votes
• Usage data — Standard server logs including IP address, browser type, pages visited, and timestamps. These are retained for 30 days for security purposes

3. Anonymous Submissions

Whisper Network submissions are designed to protect your identity. Your name and email are never displayed publicly. Only the optional details you choose to include (job title, location, LinkedIn URL) are shown on your submission. You may submit without providing any identifying information.

We do not log IP addresses in connection with individual submissions. Your account and your submission are stored separately in our database and are not linked in any publicly visible way.

4. Cookies & Tracking

We use the following cookies:

• Authentication cookie — A JWT token stored in your browser's localStorage to keep you signed in. This is not a tracking cookie and is not shared with third parties
• Preference cookies — We store your helpful vote history in localStorage so you cannot vote more than once on the same experience
• Google Analytics — We may use Google Analytics to understand aggregate traffic patterns. This uses cookies managed by Google. You can opt out at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
• Google AdSense — We display contextual advertisements via Google AdSense. Google may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this or other websites. You can opt out at google.com/settings/ads

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate LayoffTrends:

• Google Sign-In — For authentication. Governed by Google's Privacy Policy
• NewsAPI — For aggregating layoff news headlines. We do not share user data with NewsAPI
• Remotive API — For job listings on the Jobs & Learning page
• DigitalOcean — Our hosting provider. Servers are located in the United States
• Google AdSense — For contextual advertising. See Section 4 above

6. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide and maintain the LayoffTrends service
• Allow you to submit and manage your layoff experience ratings
• Display aggregate statistics and company scores
• Send you service-related communications (account confirmation, password reset)
• Improve the website based on aggregate usage patterns
• Comply with legal obligations

We do not use your information for automated decision-making or profiling. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for their marketing purposes.

7. Data Retention

We retain your account information and submitted experiences for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, your personal information (name, email) will be removed within 30 days. Submitted experiences may be retained in anonymized form for statistical purposes.

Server logs are retained for 30 days and then automatically deleted.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Object to processing of your data
• Data portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format
• Withdraw consent at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us via the Whisper Network submission form with the subject [PRIVACY REQUEST].

9. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include SSL/TLS encryption, secure password hashing, and JWT-based authentication.

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but we are committed to using industry-standard practices.

10. Children's Privacy

LayoffTrends is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of significant changes by updating the date at the top of this page. Continued use of LayoffTrends after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us through the Whisper Network submission form with the tag [PRIVACY] in your message.

LayoffTrends is operated independently and is not affiliated with any company mentioned on this site.