Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

For Independent Consultants:

• Identity information: legal name, preferred name, ABN, company structure, contact details
• Professional information: CV/resume, work history, certifications, education, skills, languages
• Compliance information: insurance status, right-to-work documentation, security clearances, background check results
• Availability and preferences: calendar availability, preferred working hours, remote/onsite preferences, travel tolerance, rate expectations
• Referral information: referee names, relationships, and verification details

For Boutique Consulting Firms:

• Business registration details and ABN
• Contact information for key personnel
• Service offerings, capabilities, and team composition
• Project history and case studies

For Clients:

• Business registration details and contact information
• Project requirements, budgets, and timelines
• Feedback and satisfaction ratings

Information Collected Automatically

When you use our platform, we automatically collect:

• Device information (browser type, operating system, device identifiers)
• Log data (IP address, access times, pages viewed, referring URL)
• Usage data (features used, interactions with the platform)
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies

Information from Third Parties

We may receive information from:

• LinkedIn and other professional networks (with your consent)
• Referees providing feedback on consultants
• Background check providers
• Payment processors

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Provide and Improve Our Services

• Match clients with suitable consultants and boutique firms
• Process and facilitate engagements and contracts
• Verify qualifications, experience, and referrals
• Generate AI-powered insights, recommendations, and shortlists
• Build and maintain your professional profile

Communicate With You

• Send service-related notifications and updates
• Respond to enquiries and provide support
• Share relevant opportunities and matches

Ensure Platform Integrity

• Verify identity and prevent fraud
• Enforce our Terms of Use
• Maintain platform security

Improve Our Platform

• Analyse usage patterns and trends
• Develop new features and services
• Generate anonymised market benchmarks and insights

3. AI and Automated Processing

Pear uses artificial intelligence to:

• Parse CVs and build structured profiles
• Match consultants to opportunities based on skills, experience, availability, and cultural fit
• Draft RFPs and job descriptions
• Provide rate guidance based on anonymised market data
• Flag potential delivery issues for quality assurance

Human Oversight: We maintain human-in-the-loop verification for referral confirmation, final shortlist validation for high-stakes roles, and quality assurance checkpoint reviews. You have the right to request human review of any automated decision that significantly affects you.

4. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information with:

Other Platform Users

• Consultants: Your profile, availability, and relevant experience may be shared with clients and boutique firms seeking your services
• Clients: Your project requirements may be shared with consultants and boutiques in our matching process
• Boutiques: Information necessary to facilitate team assembly and project delivery

Service Providers

• Cloud hosting and infrastructure providers
• Payment processors
• Background check services
• Communication tools
• Analytics providers

Legal and Regulatory

• When required by law or legal process
• To protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property
• In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets

With Your Consent

• When you direct us to share information
• When you use features that involve sharing (e.g., portable credentials)

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as required to provide our services and comply with legal obligations:

• Active accounts: Your information is retained while your account remains active
• Inactive accounts: If your account is inactive for an extended period, we may delete or anonymise your data after providing notice
• After account deletion: We retain records for up to 7 years after account closure as required for legal, tax, and audit purposes
• Financial records: Transaction and payment records are retained for 7 years as required by Australian tax law

Referral badges and credentials may decay without fresh signals, as described in our platform guidelines. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time, subject to these legal retention requirements.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Under Australian privacy law, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal requirements.
• Portability: Your Pear-Verified credentials and profile can be exported and shared outside the platform.
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time.
• Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To exercise these rights, contact us at hello@pear.it.com.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Access controls and authentication requirements
• Regular security assessments
• Employee training on data protection

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.

8. Data Breach Response

In accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme under the Privacy Act 1988, if we become aware of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm to any individuals whose personal information is involved, we will:

• Take immediate steps to contain the breach and assess the risk of harm
• Notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as soon as practicable
• Notify affected individuals as soon as practicable, including information about the breach and recommended steps they should take

We maintain incident response procedures and conduct regular assessments of our data security practices.

9. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep you logged in
• Remember your preferences
• Analyse platform usage
• Improve our services

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect platform functionality.

10. International Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than Australia, including:

• United States: Cloud infrastructure and hosting services (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud)
• European Union: Analytics and communication tools

Before disclosing your personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure the overseas recipient handles your information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles, or you have consented to the transfer. We use appropriate safeguards including contractual protections and data processing agreements.

11. Children's Privacy

Pear is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on our platform and updating the "Last updated" date.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

For complaints about our handling of your personal information, you may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.