Privacy Policy
This site exists to give vulnerable workers a safe space to share their experiences, learn, and find resources. We take privacy seriously, because we know our readers often do not have the protection of an employer or institution behind them.
The short version. We do not run third-party trackers. We do not sell or share your information. We keep what you give us for the shortest period that is honest about how this site actually works. If you ever want your information deleted, write to us and we will do it.
1. Who we are
The Unsafe Social Worker is a personal advocacy site operated by Jennifer Davidson, based in Nova Scotia, Canada. The site is hosted as a static website and is not affiliated with any employer, union, or government body.
If you have a privacy question or you want your information deleted, contact us by writing to the email listed on our contact page.
2. What we collect, and why
Newsletter sign-ups
If you submit your email through a newsletter form, we collect your email address so we can send you the newsletter. We do not require any other information. We do not enrich, profile, or share your email.
Contact-form messages
If you write to us through the contact form, we collect your name, email, phone (optional), and the body of your message. We use this only to reply to you.
Server logs
Our web host keeps standard server logs (IP address, requested page, timestamp, user-agent) for operational and security purposes. We do not use these logs for analytics, profiling, or advertising. Logs are retained for the period in the table below.
3. What we do not collect or use
- No Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, TikTok pixel, or any third-party analytics or advertising tracker.
- No third-party cookies. The site does not set any cookies of its own under normal use.
- No external embeds that load third-party JavaScript (no Facebook share buttons, no AddThis, no live-chat widgets).
- Fonts and images are self-hosted, so visiting this site does not disclose your IP address to Google Fonts, Unsplash, or any other CDN.
Why the stricter stance. Many readers of this site are reaching us from a workplace network, a phone shared with a partner, or otherwise in circumstances where their visit could be used against them. The default tracker-heavy template is unsafe for our audience. We do not use it.
4. How long we keep your information
| Category | Retention | Trigger to delete |
|---|---|---|
| Newsletter email address | Until you unsubscribe | Unsubscribe link in every email, or a request to us |
| Contact-form message + your reply thread | 12 months | Auto-purged after 12 months unless an ongoing matter requires longer; we will tell you if so |
| Server logs | 30 days | Rotated and deleted by the host on a 30-day cycle |
5. Who we share it with
We do not sell, rent, or trade your information. We do not share it with marketers, advertisers, employers, unions, or government bodies.
We may share information only in the following narrow situations:
- With our service providers (email-delivery provider, web host) strictly to the extent needed to operate the site and deliver newsletters. These providers act on our instructions and are bound by their own privacy obligations.
- With law enforcement only when required by a valid Canadian court order. We will, where lawful, attempt to notify you first.
- To protect someone from immediate harm, as required by mandatory-reporting obligations under provincial law.
6. Your rights under PIPEDA
Under Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and Nova Scotia's privacy regime, you have the right to:
- Ask us what personal information we hold about you.
- Ask us to correct information that is inaccurate.
- Ask us to delete information we hold about you.
- Withdraw your consent for us to keep using your information.
- Complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you are not satisfied with how we have responded.
Write to the email on our contact page with "Privacy request" in the subject line. We aim to respond within 30 days.
7. Security
The site is served only over HTTPS. Newsletter and contact-form data are transmitted over TLS. We keep credentials and recipient lists off public storage and review who has access on a regular basis. No system is perfect; if we ever become aware of a breach affecting your information, we will notify you in line with our PIPEDA obligations.
8. Children
This site is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has submitted information to us, please write to us and we will delete it.
9. Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top. For changes that meaningfully reduce the protection given to your information, we will post a note on the home page for at least 30 days.
A note about lawyers. This page is written in plain language by Jennifer, not by a lawyer. It is intended as a clear statement of how this site actually behaves. If a court reads this and our actual practice as inconsistent, the more protective reading governs.