Privacy Policy

Hearth — operated by Lamplight Technology Consulting LLC (d/b/a Lamplight Software)

Effective date: January 1, 2026 Last updated: June 8, 2026

Introduction

Hearth is an HR and payroll platform for US small businesses, operated by Lamplight Technology Consulting LLC, a Montana limited liability company doing business as Lamplight Software ("Lamplight," "Hearth," "we," "our," or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect information when you visit runhearth.com, create an account, and use Hearth and its AI assistant, Ember (the "Services").

Lamplight Technology Consulting LLC is part of the Lamplight Technology Holdings LLC corporate group. When we refer to our "corporate group" or "affiliates," we mean Lamplight Technology Holdings LLC and the companies it owns or controls.

The two roles we play

Because Hearth runs payroll and HR for businesses, we handle information in two different roles:

As a service provider to our business customers. When a business uses Hearth to run payroll and manage its workforce, the business decides what worker information to put into Hearth and why. For that worker information — employees' and contractors' details — the business is the controller and we act as its service provider/processor, handling the information on the business's behalf and under our agreement with it. If you are an employee or contractor of a Hearth customer, please direct privacy requests to your employer first; we will support them in responding.
As the business that controls the information. When you visit our website, create or administer an account, or communicate with us directly, we decide how and why your information is handled, and this Policy governs.

Information we collect

Account and business information. Business name and EIN, account administrator name, email, phone, business address, and login credentials.

Workforce and payroll information (handled on behalf of our business customers). To run payroll and HR, Hearth processes information about a customer's employees and contractors, which may include: name and contact details; Social Security number or taxpayer identification number; date of birth; work authorization and I-9 information; W-4 and state withholding elections; compensation, hours, and time-off; bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit; tax withholding, garnishment, and wage-order details; and related HR records such as onboarding documents and, where the customer uses these features, performance information.

Financial connection information. Bank account details used to fund payroll and pay taxes, and information from financial connections you authorize.

Usage, device, and log information. Pages and features used, actions taken in the Services (including the activity and audit logs Hearth maintains), IP address, browser and device information, and approximate location derived from IP address.

Information from integrations and other sources. Information from tools you connect (such as QuickBooks Online and Xero) and from prior payroll systems you import from (such as Gusto, OnPay, or BambooHR), and business contact details from our affiliates, partners, and publicly or commercially available sources.

Because Hearth necessarily handles sensitive information like Social Security numbers and bank details, we apply heightened protections to it and limit access to those who need it to provide the Services.

How we use information

We use information to:

provide, maintain, secure, and support the Services, including running payroll, calculating and remitting taxes, originating ACH payments, generating tax forms, and managing hiring, onboarding, and time off;
operate Ember and other AI-assisted features that propose actions for your review (see below);
authenticate users, maintain audit and activity logs, and detect and prevent fraud, errors, and security incidents;
communicate with you about your account, transactions, and support requests;
understand how the Services are used and measure, troubleshoot, and improve their performance and reliability;
develop, test, and improve our products and services and create new features;
create and use de-identified and aggregated data as described below; and
comply with legal, tax, and recordkeeping obligations and enforce our agreements.

Ember and artificial intelligence

Ember is Hearth's AI assistant. It proposes actions — such as drafting an offer letter or preparing a payroll run — and shows you exactly what will happen before any change is made. You confirm; sensitive matters such as terminations, harassment, and garnishments always route to a person.

To operate these features, we use trusted third-party AI providers that process the data needed to generate a response. We contractually restrict these providers from using your data to train their own general-purpose models, and we share only what is needed to deliver the feature. Separately, we may use information from the Services — primarily in de-identified or aggregated form — to develop, evaluate, and improve our own models and features. AI output can be inaccurate or incomplete and is not legal, tax, or accounting advice; you remain responsible for reviewing each proposed action before you confirm it.

De-identified and aggregated data

We may convert information into de-identified or aggregated data that does not identify, and cannot reasonably be used to identify, any individual or business. We may create, use, retain, and share de-identified and aggregated data for any lawful purpose — including to operate, analyze, benchmark, secure, and improve the Services, to develop new products and services, and to support the AI activities above. We do not attempt to re-identify de-identified data except as permitted by law to validate de-identification, and we require recipients not to re-identify it. Our rights to use de-identified and aggregated data continue after your account is closed.

How we share information

We do not sell your personal information for money. We share information as follows:

To deliver payroll and tax services — with banking and payment partners to originate ACH payments, and with federal, state, and local tax and government authorities to file returns, remit taxes, and meet new-hire and other reporting obligations.
With your authorized users and at your direction — including with integrations you connect, such as QuickBooks Online and Xero.
With service providers and sub-processors — vendors who perform services for us, such as hosting, payment and banking infrastructure, tax calculation, e-signature, AI processing, communications, customer support, and security, under contracts that limit their use of the information to providing services to us.
Within our corporate group — with our affiliates, to operate, support, secure, and improve our shared products and services.
For legal and safety reasons — to comply with law or legal process, enforce our agreements, or protect the rights, property, or safety of Lamplight, our customers, or others.
In a business transaction — in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, or sale of assets, subject to the commitments in this Policy.
In de-identified or aggregated form — as described above, without restriction.
With your direction or consent — for any other sharing you ask us to do or agree to.

SMS/text data. If you opt in to text messaging from us, the mobile information you provide for that purpose, and your consent, will not be shared with or sold to third parties or affiliates for their own marketing purposes.

Data security

We maintain a written information security program with administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect information appropriate to its sensitivity. Hearth data is held with US-only data residency and is encrypted in transit and at rest. We are pursuing SOC 2 Type 2 attestation. Every action in Hearth is written to a tamper-evident audit log, and you can export your data at any time. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security; please keep your credentials confidential and configure user access appropriately.

Data retention

We keep information for as long as needed to provide the Services and to meet legal, tax, and payroll-recordkeeping obligations, which often require retaining payroll and tax records for several years. When information is no longer needed, we delete it or de-identify it, after which we may retain and use the de-identified data as described above.

Your privacy choices and rights

You can opt out of marketing emails using the unsubscribe link, opt out of marketing texts by replying STOP, and manage cookies through your browser. Depending on where you live, US state privacy laws may give you the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information, and to opt out of certain uses such as targeted advertising. To exercise these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will verify your request before acting on it and will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights. If you are an employee or contractor of a Hearth customer, the business that uses Hearth controls your information; we will refer your request to that business and support it in responding.

Children's privacy

Hearth is intended for businesses and adults and is not directed to anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

Where we operate

We are based in the United States and operate the Services in the United States. If you access the Services from outside the United States, your information will be processed in the United States.

Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will provide notice through the Services or by other reasonable means and update the "Last updated" date above. Your continued use of the Services after the changes take effect means you accept the updated Policy.

Contact us

Lamplight Technology Consulting LLC (d/b/a Lamplight Software) — Hearth Email: [email protected] (privacy requests) · [email protected] (general) Mail: PO Box 3135, Columbia Falls, MT 59912 Phone: 877-642-6627