Privacy Policy
Last updated: 18 October 2026
laidoffhelp.fyi ("we") is a community website where people share their layoff experiences anonymously, see aggregated statistics and help each other. This page explains what information we collect and how we use it.
Reading the site
You can read stories, statistics and resources without an account. We do not use analytics, advertising or third-party tracking scripts.
Signing in with Google
To post, comment or react, you sign in with Google so we can confirm you are a real person and limit spam and fake stories. We request only the basic openid permission. From Google we receive a stable account identifier, which we immediately convert into a one-way salted hash and store. We do not receive or store your name, email address, profile photo or any other Google account data. Our use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
What you post
- Stories, comments and help-board posts contain only what you choose to write. They are shown under a random or self-chosen display name, never linked publicly to your identity.
- Optional fields such as compensation, severance or a public contact link are shown publicly only if you fill them in.
- Images you upload are re-encoded and stripped of metadata such as GPS location and camera details. They are scanned by an automated content-moderation service (Amazon Rekognition) to block explicit, violent or hateful content.
- Posts are checked automatically for spam, abuse and unsafe links and may be reviewed by a moderator.
Technical data
- Cookies: one essential cookie keeps you signed in (30 days). A short-lived cookie protects the sign-in process. No advertising or tracking cookies.
- IP addresses are not stored with posts. They are used briefly, in memory, for rate limiting and abuse prevention.
- Your browser may store preferences such as theme and form drafts locally on your device.
How we use information
Only to run the site: to publish your posts, compute anonymous aggregate statistics, prevent spam and abuse, and enforce our community guidelines. We do not sell or share personal information, and we do not use it for advertising.
Retention and deletion
You can delete any of your stories, comments and help posts at any time from "My posts". Deleted posts and their images are removed permanently from the live site; server backups are kept for up to 14 days and then deleted. To delete your account record entirely, contact us using the address below.
Where data is stored
Data is stored on servers operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Children
The site is intended for adults and is not directed at children under 16.
Changes
We will update this page if our practices change and revise the date above.
Contact
Questions or deletion requests: please post in the help board under "Other" and a moderator will respond.