This Agreement is made on:
Between:
Private Mentorship (the “Platform” or “PM”), carrying on business in British Columbia, with its principal place of business at .
And:
(the “Assistant”), a self-employed individual residing in British Columbia at .
PM and the Assistant are each a “Party” and together the “Parties.”
A. PM operates a marketplace platform (the “Platform”) through which families and individuals seeking support in the home, in the community, or online (“Clients”) may identify, evaluate, and engage independent service providers.
B. PM is not a staffing agency, employer, or labour supplier. PM does not employ the persons who deliver services through the Platform.
C. The Assistant is a self-employed independent contractor who provides support services to Clients introduced through the Platform (the “Services”), delivered in the Client’s home, at the Assistant’s own home where agreed, online through the Platform’s session room, and in the community. The Assistant brings their own acquired skills, training, and experience. PM does not train the Assistant in the delivery of the Services.
D. The Parties intend an independent contractor relationship in which the Assistant retains control over the methods and manner of performing the Services, bears the financial risks and rewards of their own work, and is free to provide services to other clients and platforms.
E. PM is an early-stage business and is not in a position to employ persons. PM operates exclusively on a contractor-engagement basis. The Assistant acknowledges that no offer of employment has been made, is being made, or is implied by this Agreement.
1.1 Independent Contractor. The Assistant is engaged as an independent contractor. Nothing in this Agreement creates an employer-employee relationship, partnership, or joint venture. PM does not collect, hold, receive, or handle the Assistant’s share of any Engagement Fee. PM collects only its own Platform Fee under section 4.2. PM is not the Assistant’s agent for any purpose, has no authority to bind the Assistant to any Client or to any term, and owes the Assistant no fiduciary duty.
1.2 No Employment. The Assistant is not an employee of PM for any purpose, including under the Employment Standards Act (BC), the Workers Compensation Act (BC), the Income Tax Act (Canada), the Canada Pension Plan, the Employment Insurance Act, or at common law.
1.3 No Employer-Style Entitlements. The Assistant is not entitled to and will not receive from PM: wages, salary, overtime, statutory holiday pay, vacation pay, sick leave, bereavement leave, severance, termination pay, pay in lieu of notice, group health or dental benefits, RRSP matching, pension contributions, EI or CPP contributions paid by PM, WorkSafeBC coverage paid by PM, or any other employment-related entitlement.
1.4 Method and Manner. The Assistant has full control over the method, manner, sequence, and pace of performing the Services. PM does not direct how the Services are delivered, does not supervise sessions in real time, and does not inspect or evaluate the Assistant's work.
1.5 No Training Provided. PM does not train the Assistant. The Services are delivered using skills, experience, and qualifications the Assistant already possesses. The Assistant represents that they have the necessary skills and experience for the Services they accept.
1.6 Substance Over Form. The Parties intend this characterization in good faith and have structured both this Agreement and the operating relationship to reflect the substance of independent contracting.
2.1 Per-Engagement Structure. Each working relationship between the Assistant and a Client constitutes a discrete, term-limited engagement (an “Engagement”). The end of one Engagement does not entitle the Assistant to a further Engagement, and any renewal with the same Client is a fresh commercial arrangement (see Schedule C).
2.1(a) Engagement Confirmations. An Engagement begins when both Parties have signed a Confirmation in the form of Schedule C, with the version of this Agreement then in force attached. Where no signed Confirmation exists for a period of work, that period is treated as a continuation of the most recent Engagement, and the twelve (12) months in section 11.1 run from the end of that continuous period. PM will give the Assistant a copy of every signed Confirmation.
2.2 Right to Decline. The Assistant may accept or decline any Engagement offered through the Platform for any reason or no reason. Declining is not grounds for removal from the Platform.
2.3 Suitability, Insurance, and the Duty Not to Accept. The Assistant must not accept an Engagement where the Client’s medical, physical, cognitive, or behavioural needs fall outside the Assistant’s training, experience, or competence, or where the Assistant does not hold the insurance that the work requires. This includes, without limitation: driving a Client without the licence and insurance rate class that use requires (see section 7.4); supporting a Client whose medical, mobility, or behavioural needs the Assistant has no prior experience of; and any task the Assistant is not confident of performing safely. Declining on any of these grounds is expressly protected by section 2.2 and is never held against the Assistant.
PM may likewise decline to make a match, or may end a match, where the Assistant appears to PM not to hold the insurance, training, or experience a particular Client’s circumstances require — for example a Client requiring transport several days a week, or a Client with high-support medical or behavioural needs. A decision not to match is not a finding about the Assistant’s competence, is not discipline (see section 9.3), and does not affect the Assistant’s standing on the Platform.
PM does not assess, verify, or confirm that an Assistant is a suitable match for a particular Client’s medical, physical, cognitive, or behavioural needs. Introducing an Assistant to a Client is not a representation by PM that the Assistant is qualified, insured, experienced, or otherwise suitable for that Client. The discretion described above is one PM may exercise; it is not a duty owed to either Party. Responsibility for deciding whether the Assistant can safely perform the work rests with the Assistant; responsibility for satisfying themselves that an Assistant meets their needs rests with the Client.
2.4 Right to Pause. The Assistant may at any time pause availability, take time off, or work zero hours. No minimum activity is required.
2.5 Your Profile While You Are Not Working. Pausing availability, taking time off, or working no hours does not end this Agreement and does not remove the Assistant from the Platform. The Assistant’s profile remains in place while they are between Engagements or waiting to be matched with a Client. Where an Assistant has been inactive for an extended period, PM may hide the profile from the public directory so that the directory reflects Assistants who are currently available. Hiding a profile is not removal — the profile, its content, and this Agreement all remain in force, and the profile is restored on request when the Assistant is available again.
2.6 Scheduling. Once an Engagement begins, scheduling is arranged directly between the Assistant and the Client. The Assistant negotiates days, times, and duration of sessions with the Client. PM does not set schedules.
2.7 Cancellations and Sickness. If the Assistant cannot attend a scheduled session, or if the Client cancels, the Assistant and Client coordinate a resolution directly — rescheduling, extending a later session, or carrying the remaining hours forward. A cancelled session is not refunded in cash. Hours are rescheduled, carried forward, held against a Client Flex Token, or — where the Client has no Flex Token remaining and cancels with less than 24 hours’ notice — forfeited, as set out in section 2.7(a). The Assistant is not required to notify PM of routine cancellations. PM imposes no penalty for cancellations. Cancellations reflect on the Assistant's own representation in the marketplace.
2.7(a) Client Flex Tokens (Acknowledgment). The Assistant acknowledges that each Client Engagement includes three (3) "Flex Tokens," which the Client may use to cancel or reschedule any session — including with short notice — without losing the hour. After all three Flex Tokens have been used, late cancellations by the Client (less than 24 hours' notice) result in the Assistant receiving the 70% share for the lost hour. The Assistant agrees to accommodate reasonable Flex Token usage by the Client as part of normal Engagement operations.
2.7(b) Where the Assistant Cancels. Where the Assistant cancels a session, no Client Flex Token is consumed and the Client’s hours are preserved in full. The Client is held harmless for a cancellation that was not theirs.
2.7(c) Complimentary Sessions — the Assistant’s Discretion. The Assistant may mark any session as complimentary, meaning it does not draw down the Client’s hours. This is the Assistant’s judgment alone. It is never required by PM, never a condition of an Engagement, and carries no consequence either way — an Assistant who never marks a session complimentary is in good standing, and so is one who does it often. Typical uses are a make-up session after the Assistant cancelled, a short check-in that does not merit a full hour, or a courtesy follow-up. A complimentary session is never billed to the Client and generates no Engagement Fee — the Client is not charged for it, and the Assistant is not paid for it. The Assistant is choosing to give that time. It does not add hours to the Client’s contract: the Client’s balance is simply left untouched. Complimentary sessions are recorded on the Platform so that both the Client and PM can see them.
2.8 Where the Services Are Delivered. The Services are delivered in the Client’s home; at the Assistant’s own home where the Client and the Assistant agree to that; online through the Platform’s session room; and, where the Engagement calls for it, in the community — outings, activities, appointments, and errands. Where the Services are delivered at the Assistant’s own home, the Assistant is responsible for the safety and suitability of that space and for any insurance its use requires; PM does not inspect, approve, or insure it.
2.9 Transportation Is Not a Service. PM does not sell, charge for, or arrange transportation as a service in its own right, and would decline a Client seeking transportation alone. No Assistant is ever engaged solely to drive a Client. Where an Assistant does drive a Client, it is always incidental to delivering one or more of the Services — collecting a Client on the way to an activity or taking them home afterwards, driving to buy ingredients during a life-skills session, or accompanying a Client to an appointment or an errand. Journeys of that kind are short and local, and always with the Client’s knowledge and agreement.
2.9(a) No Fare, No Separate Charge. The Engagement Fee is the same whether or not any driving occurs. No journey is separately charged, no fare is collected, and no part of the Assistant’s fee is paid for driving. The Assistant must not add a travel charge, a mileage rate, a fuel surcharge, a pick-up fee, a call-out fee, or any other amount for a journey, and must not ask a Client to pay for a journey separately from the Engagement Fee. Where a journey takes time, that time is session time and comes out of the hours already booked under the Engagement — the Assistant may spend the Engagement’s hours driving, but may never charge on top of them. Section 7.4 governs the vehicle, the licence, and the insurance, and section 7.4(a) explains why this rule matters.
2.9(b) Household Work Is Not a Service. PM does not sell, charge for, or arrange cooking, cleaning, laundry, or housekeeping as a service in its own right, and would decline a Client seeking any of those alone. No Assistant is ever engaged to be a cook, a cleaner, or a housekeeper. Where an Assistant does something of that kind during an Engagement — making a meal for a child in their care, washing up after it, a hand with an errand, a tidy-up at the end of a session, or personal-care assistance for an adult Client — it is always incidental to delivering one or more of the Services, and remains the smaller part of the session rather than its purpose. An Assistant may decline any such task, and declining costs them nothing.
2.10 What One Session Is. A session runs a minimum of two (2) hours and is delivered to one person. For Education that means one-on-one teaching of a single student, with the Assistant’s own preparation, instruction, and materials. Life Skills, Personal Support, and childcare are likewise delivered to the person the Engagement was agreed for. PM does not sell one-hour sessions at its published rates. Where a Client asks for a second child or a second person to be included, or taught separately in the same visit, that is beyond the scope the Engagement Fee was priced against, and section 6.1(c) governs it.
3.1 Tool, Not Surveillance. The PM Platform (website, scheduling and messaging features, hour-logging, document storage, mobile applications) is provided as a tool for the convenience of Assistants and Clients. The Platform is not used by PM to surveil, supervise, evaluate, or discipline the Assistant.
3.1(a) Why the Record Exists. What the Platform does keep is a record — of hours logged, sessions held, messages sent, and changes made. That record exists so that if a question or a dispute ever arises, there is something to point to. It protects the Assistant as much as the Client: an Assistant who logged their hours has proof they delivered them, and a Client who agreed to a change has proof they agreed. Entries are not deleted or rewritten — a correction is recorded alongside the original, never in place of it. Either Party may ask PM for the record of their own Engagements at any time.
3.2 Self-Logging. Hours worked are logged by the Assistant. PM does not clock the Assistant in or out, does not require check-ins on any PM-set cadence, and does not monitor the Assistant's location.
3.3 Marketing and Listing. PM markets the Platform and the Assistants listed on it. The Assistant's profile is the Assistant's own promotional listing, presenting their skills, experience, and availability to prospective Clients.
3.4 No Branding Requirements. The Assistant is not required to wear PM branding, use PM-branded materials, or present as PM staff. The Assistant identifies themselves to Clients as an independent contractor engaged through the PM Platform.
3.5 Platform Access. PM grants the Assistant a non-exclusive, revocable licence to use the Platform for finding and managing Engagements. PM may modify, restrict, or end Platform access in its discretion.
4.1 Engagement Fee. Each Engagement has an Engagement Fee paid by the Client. It divides into PM’s Platform Fee under section 4.2 and the Assistant’s share under section 4.3. The Assistant’s share is the Assistant’s property from the moment the Client pays it. It is not revenue of PM, is not available to PM’s creditors, and does not become PM’s money at any point — however it is collected.
4.2 Platform Fee. PM retains a Platform Fee of thirty percent (30%) of each Engagement Fee, in consideration of marketing, Client introduction, payment processing, profile hosting, Platform infrastructure, ongoing referral, and access to the Platform.
4.2(a) Tips and Gifts Are the Assistant’s. The Platform Fee applies to the Engagement Fee and to nothing else. Tips, seasonal gifts, and any other money a Client chooses to give the Assistant belong to the Assistant in full. PM takes no share of them, does not process them, and does not treat them as Engagement income. A Client is never expected to tip, and an Assistant is never disadvantaged for not receiving one.
4.2(b) BC PST Is Inside the Platform Fee. British Columbia charges seven percent (7%) provincial sales tax on online marketplace services. Where that tax applies to the Platform Fee, the Platform Fee stated in section 4.2 is inclusive of it — the tax is calculated within PM’s thirty percent (30%) and is not added to it. The Assistant’s share under section 4.3 is not reduced by this tax. PM will show the Platform Fee and the tax as separate line items on the Assistant’s statement, as British Columbia’s sales tax regulation requires.
4.3 Assistant’s Share. The Assistant retains seventy percent (70%) of each Engagement Fee. It reaches the Assistant by one of two routes, and on neither route does PM hold it:
Route 1 is the standard method. Route 2 is available only by arrangement, and the Assistant is responsible for confirming receipt of their own share.
4.3.1 No Refunds. Once the Engagement Fee is paid it is not refunded. PM’s Platform Fee is never returned, in any circumstance. The single exception concerns the Assistant’s own share: where the Assistant does not go on to deliver hours the Assistant has already been paid for, the Assistant returns the unearned portion of their own 70% directly to the Client under section 5.2. That is the Assistant’s money and the Assistant’s obligation. PM does not fund it, hold it, process it, or guarantee it.
4.4 No Wages. Amounts paid to the Assistant are fees for services rendered as an independent contractor. They are not wages, salary, or commissions earned as an employee.
4.5 No Escrow, No Per-Session Release. PM does not hold Client funds in escrow and does not release the Assistant’s share session by session. Under both routes in section 4.3 the Assistant’s share arrives in full at the time the Client pays. Where an Assistant has been paid for hours they do not go on to deliver, section 5.2 (Refund of Unearned Fees) governs, and the refund is owed by the Assistant — not by PM.
4.6 Invoicing. The Assistant may be required to issue an invoice (manually or via the Platform) for each Engagement period, under the Assistant's own legal or registered business name.
4.7 No Source Deductions. PM does not deduct income tax, CPP, EI, or any other amount from payments to the Assistant.
4.8 Tax Reporting. Because PM never receives and never pays the Assistant’s share (section 4.3), there is no payment from PM to the Assistant to report. PM issues no T4A and no T4. The Assistant reports all Engagement income on Form T2125 (Statement of Business or Professional Activities) and remits their own income tax, CPP and (if elected) EI. As a convenience, PM may make available a downloadable earnings summary of the Assistant’s Platform engagements for the Assistant’s own records; that summary is not a T4A or T4.
4.9 Taxes. The Assistant is responsible for their own taxes, including GST/HST if they are or become registered. Whether registration is required depends on the Assistant’s total revenue from all sources — that is the Assistant’s own business, and PM does not track it. The Assistant’s share under section 4.3 is inclusive of any GST/HST the Assistant must account for, and PM will not pay any additional amount on account of it.
4.9(a) PM’s own position. PM’s revenue is the Platform Fee under section 4.2, and nothing else. The Assistant’s share under section 4.3 never passes through PM and is never PM’s revenue. PM is not currently registered for GST/HST and charges none on the Platform Fee. If PM later becomes required to register, PM will give thirty (30) days’ written notice before any tax is added to a published price, and no Engagement already paid for will be affected.
4.10 Platform Fee Adjustments. PM may, in its sole discretion, offer a reduced or waived Platform Fee on particular Engagements or to particular Assistants, based on commercial criteria such as the establishment of the Platform’s initial roster, volume of Engagements delivered, average Client satisfaction, Engagement type (e.g., overnight, live-in, or hard-to-fill placements), tenure on the Platform, or other strategic factors. Any such reduction is a commercial fee adjustment and is expressly not a bonus, gift, loyalty payment, retention payment, milestone payment, or employment-related benefit. A reduction or waiver offered while PM is establishing its initial roster of Assistants is a market-entry pricing decision of the same kind, and is not a payment, benefit, or inducement of employment. A reduced Platform Fee applies only to the Engagement(s) for which it is expressly designated; the standard 30% Platform Fee continues to apply to all other Engagements. The Parties acknowledge that this kind of marketplace pricing structure is consistent with — and reinforces — the independent contractor nature of this Agreement, and is comparable to the volume- or performance-tier fee structures offered by other established marketplace platforms.
5.1 Obligation to Deliver. Where the Assistant has accepted an Engagement and Engagement Fees have been paid or committed by a Client, the Assistant agrees to deliver the agreed number of hours within the agreed term, subject to ordinary rescheduling between the Assistant and Client.
5.2 Refund of Unearned Fees. If the Assistant fails to deliver hours for which the Assistant has been paid (other than due to a Client-side cancellation), the Assistant will refund the unearned portion directly to the Client within fourteen (14) days of the end of the Engagement period, or such other period as the Assistant and the Client agree in writing. PM is not the recipient of the refund and does not guarantee it. In an exceptional case PM may assist as a courtesy, in one of two ways: (a) the Assistant provides the funds to PM and PM forwards them to the Client; or (b) PM pays the Client first, in which case the Assistant will reimburse PM in full within fourteen (14) days of PM’s written demand. PM does not bear the cost of an Assistant’s refund under either route, and assisting once does not make PM responsible for any later refund. The Client may enforce this section directly against the Assistant as a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement.
5.3 Abandonment. If the Assistant ceases to deliver Services under an active Engagement for more than fourteen (14) consecutive days without notice to the Client or PM, the Engagement is deemed abandoned. On abandonment, the Assistant will (a) refund all unearned fees for that Engagement and (b) pay PM the applicable Abandonment Fee set out in the table below, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty. The Abandonment Fee scales with the value of the abandoned Engagement, reflecting the increased Client reliance, reputational exposure, and remediation cost that accompanies larger Engagements.
| Engagement Fee (total) | Abandonment Fee (in addition to refund of unearned fees) |
|---|---|
| Up to $1,500 | $350 |
| $1,501 to $5,000 | $900 |
| Over $5,000 | $1,500 |
The Parties agree that the Abandonment Fee represents a genuine pre-estimate of the damage caused to PM by abandonment, taking into account: (i) the cost of locating, screening, and onboarding a replacement Assistant for the affected Client; (ii) the cost of communicating with and reassuring the affected Client (including, for larger Engagements, the disruption of senior, disability, or live-in care arrangements involving vulnerable persons); (iii) refund processing and payment-processor costs; (iv) reputational impact on the Platform; (v) the risk of losing the affected Client and any future Platform Fees that would have been earned from that Client; and (vi) the increased legal recovery effort associated with larger Engagement values, including filing in the Provincial Court of British Columbia rather than the Civil Resolution Tribunal.
5.4 No Set-Off. An Assistant's obligation to refund unearned fees is independent of any other Engagement and may not be set off against future fees without PM's written consent.
5.5 Remedies Cumulative. The remedies in this section 5 are in addition to PM's right to recover damages, costs, and disbursements through legal proceedings.
5.6 Acknowledgment of Legal Recourse. The Assistant acknowledges and agrees that:
6.1 Variable Earnings. The Engagement Fee and the published plan structures are set by PM. The Assistant’s earnings vary with the number and length of Engagements they accept — more by accepting more or longer Engagements, less (including zero) by accepting fewer or none. The Assistant may at any time propose a different fee or structure for a particular Engagement, and PM will consider it in good faith; nothing obliges the Assistant to accept an Engagement at PM’s published rate.
6.1(a) Scope and Fee Move Together. PM’s published rates are priced against a defined scope — the hours, the plan length, the session structure in section 2.10, and the Services described in section 2. A fee is not payment for the Assistant’s availability generally; it is the price of that scope.
Where a Client’s expectations exceed that scope, either the Assistant or PM may decline the Engagement, or the two may agree to move it to a Custom Plan. On a Custom Plan the Assistant sets their own service fee for the skill and the work involved, at whatever rate they consider fair. Neither Party is obliged to proceed at PM’s published rate, and the Assistant may decline any Engagement whose demands have outgrown its fee, at no cost and with no effect on their standing on the Platform.
6.1(b) Custom Plans — More Hours, More Earnings for Both. Families whose needs fall outside the standard 24- or 40-hour structures — more hours, a longer term, or additional sessions — are quoted under a Custom Plan, priced per family or per Engagement in a written arrangement. The Assistant is a party to setting that fee and is under no obligation to accept a Custom Plan Engagement at any particular rate.
A Custom Plan is an Engagement like any other. PM’s Platform Fee of thirty percent (30%) applies to it, and the Assistant retains seventy percent (70%) of whatever fee is agreed. A bigger plan earns more for both Parties, in the same proportion as a standard one.
6.1(c) An Additional Person in the Same Session Is the Assistant’s Own. Section 6.1(b) covers more time — more hours, a longer term, extra sessions — and all of it is part of the Engagement Fee that PM’s Platform Fee is calculated on. This section covers something different.
Where a Client asks for an additional person inside a session already agreed — most commonly a second child taught alongside the first — the Assistant is doing roughly double the preparation, instruction, and marking within the same two hours. Whether to take that on is the Assistant’s decision alone. Nothing obliges them to, and declining has no effect on their standing.
If the Assistant does take it on, the Assistant sets the fee. They may do it at no charge, or charge whatever they consider fair for the extra preparation, energy, and materials a second student involves. PM takes no Platform Fee on that amount: it is one hundred percent (100%) the Assistant’s.
The arrangement is agreed through the Platform and recorded against the Engagement, so that the Client and the Assistant each have a record of what was agreed. Recording it is not PM taking a share — it is what lets PM show the money was never PM’s. An Assistant who arranges such work off-Platform is not exempt from section 11.
6.2 No Guaranteed Volume. PM does not guarantee any volume of Engagements, any minimum income, or any continued listing.
6.3 No-Show Risk Borne by Assistant. If the Assistant fails to attend a scheduled session, the Assistant does not earn fees for that time and bears the financial loss of any session not delivered.
6.4 Damage and Liability. The Assistant is responsible for damage to a Client's property or person caused by the Assistant's negligence or wilful conduct. PM does not indemnify the Assistant against such liability.
7.1 Assistant's Own Tools. The Assistant supplies, at the Assistant's own cost:
7.1(a) Protective equipment. The Assistant supplies their own personal protective equipment and decides when to use it, subject to section 9.2 and to any requirement of the Client’s household. PM does not supply, specify, or fund it, and does not direct when it is used. Where the work involves personal care, lifting, or transfers, the Assistant is responsible for using the protection that work requires.
7.1(b) Money the Assistant advances for a Client. Where the Assistant, with a Client’s written agreement, pays for something during an Engagement — admission, materials, transit — the Client reimburses the Assistant directly, and the two of them agree what is covered and how it will be repaid before the Assistant spends their own money. PM is not a party to that arrangement and does not advance, hold, or guarantee those amounts. The Assistant is never required to advance money for a Client, and declining is not grounds for any consequence under this Agreement.
7.2 Certifications, Records, and Checks. The Assistant obtains and maintains, at the Assistant’s own cost, the records set out below. PM does not reimburse the Assistant for any certification, course, training, exam, or renewal fee.
7.2(a) Required before any Engagement — no exceptions. Every Assistant must hold a current Criminal Record Check including vulnerable sector screening, issued within the preceding twelve (12) months, and must provide it to PM before being introduced to any Client. It is renewed every three (3) years while this Agreement is in force. PM does not list, introduce, or permit an Assistant to begin an Engagement without it. This is a condition of listing on a platform serving children and vulnerable adults; it is not supervision, evaluation, or discipline, and it does not alter the characterization of this Agreement.
7.2(b) Required before driving a Client. Transportation is not part of the Services (see Recital C), and PM neither offers nor arranges it. But where an Assistant privately agrees to drive a Client, the Assistant must first hold and give PM a valid driver’s licence, an ICBC driving abstract issued within the preceding twelve (12) months, and vehicle insurance in the rate class ICBC requires for the use they make of the vehicle. This is a condition of listing on a platform serving children and vulnerable adults — not an indication that PM provides, approves, or takes responsibility for the driving.
7.2(c) What PM does with these records. PM confirms that each required document has been provided and is current on its face, and displays that confirmation on the Assistant’s profile so Clients can see it. PM does not otherwise assess the Assistant’s suitability for any particular Client, and does not represent to any Client that it has. The Assistant is responsible for the accuracy of what is displayed and will tell PM within seven (7) days if any record lapses or ceases to be accurate.
7.2(d) Other qualifications. Standard First Aid / CPR, WorkSafeBC personal optional protection, and any further professional qualification are the Assistant’s own choice or a particular Client’s requirement, at the Assistant’s own cost, and whether the Assistant holds each is shown on their profile.
7.2(e) Interview and references — required before listing. Before being listed or introduced to any Client, the Assistant completes an interview with PM, in person or by video, and provides three (3) references, of whom at least two (2) are neither friends nor family members. PM contacts those references it considers necessary and confirms it has done so. PM does not list, introduce, or permit an Assistant to begin an Engagement without this. This is a condition of listing on a platform serving children and vulnerable adults; it is not supervision, evaluation, or discipline, and it does not alter the characterization of this Agreement.
7.3 Insurance. The Assistant is encouraged to carry their own commercial general liability and professional liability insurance. PM does not provide insurance for the Assistant. If the Assistant elects not to carry insurance, the Assistant bears the financial consequences of any uncovered claim. An Assistant who holds commercial general liability cover may show the Insured badge on their public profile; without it, the badge is not shown.
7.4 Vehicles, Driving, and Insurance. Transportation is not one of the Services (Recital C), is never separately charged, and driving a Client is never required by PM or by this Agreement — an Assistant may decline to drive at any time without consequence. Where driving does happen as an incidental part of a session, the Assistant drives their own vehicle, or the Client’s, or a car-share vehicle, under their own insurance and at their own risk. Before driving any Client the Assistant provides PM with the records in section 7.2(b), and it is the Assistant’s responsibility to hold the ICBC rate class their own use of the vehicle requires — which depends on how many days a month they drive for work, and which the Assistant should confirm with ICBC or their broker. PM checks that those records were provided and are current on their face, and shows that on the Assistant’s profile. Beyond that check, PM does not own, insure, inspect the condition of, or maintain any vehicle, provides no coverage of any kind for the Assistant or the vehicle, and is not a party to any claim arising from its use.
7.4(a) Why Driving Is Never Charged For. This is not a matter of PM’s preference. Private Mentorship put the arrangement described in sections 2.9, 2.9(a) and 7.4 to Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE), Commercial Passenger Vehicle Program, Ministry of Transportation and Transit, and holds the Branch’s written reply, given in August 2026 by a Passenger Transportation Enforcement Officer. The Branch confirmed that this arrangement is an auxiliary passenger vehicle and that no passenger transportation licence is required:
“As long as your contractors are paid for the totality of their services, not just transportation, your business will not require a passenger transportation license, as it will be considered an auxiliary passenger vehicle.”
“The amount of trips conducted will not matter, as long as the passengers are paying for the support services provided, not the transportation service.”
“The vehicle driven does not matter…”
“Your assistants may not include extra charges for transportation, except for appropriate fuel and maintenance costs.”Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement, Commercial Passenger Vehicle Program, Ministry of Transportation and Transit — written reply to Private Mentorship, August 2026. The full correspondence is available to any Assistant on request.
What this means for the Assistant. What protects this position is the payment structure, not the driving. How often an Assistant drives does not matter. Whose vehicle it is does not matter — the Assistant’s own, the Client’s, or a car-share such as Evo or Modo. What does matter is that the Client is paying for the support service and never for the ride. A single travel charge or mileage claim is the one thing that could put the exemption in question, which is why section 2.9(a) forbids one. The Branch permits recovery of “appropriate fuel and maintenance costs”; this Agreement is deliberately stricter and permits nothing, and an Assistant who wants the time paid for takes it from the Engagement’s booked hours instead.
7.4(b) Vehicle Size. The Branch also confirmed that a vehicle with more than ten (10) seats requires the driver to hold a Class 4 licence, and a vehicle with more than twelve (12) seats requires a commercial vehicle inspection and inclusion under a National Safety Code number. An Assistant must not carry a Client in a vehicle of that size.
8.1 Non-Exclusive. This Agreement is non-exclusive. The Assistant is expressly free, and is encouraged, to engage with other families, individuals, agencies, or platforms; to operate their own independent business; and to accept Engagements from sources other than the PM Platform.
8.2 PM's Encouragement of External Work. PM affirmatively supports the Assistant's independent business growth and may, from time to time, share external job postings, referrals, or other opportunities outside the PM Platform.
8.3 Other Sources of Work. PM does not require the Assistant to work exclusively through the Platform, and does not restrict the Assistant from working for other families, agencies, or platforms — except as set out in section 11.1 for Clients introduced through the Platform. PM neither requires nor expects any particular level of work outside the Platform, and the Assistant makes no promise about it. How much of the Assistant’s business comes through the Platform is the Assistant’s own commercial decision, is not a term of this Agreement, and is never a ground for any consequence under it.
9.1 Reputation Standards. The Assistant acknowledges that PM operates a Platform of good standing in the community and that the Assistant's conduct during an Engagement may reflect on PM. The Assistant agrees to conduct themselves professionally and with respect toward Clients, their families, and any third parties encountered.
9.1(a) Teaching What Exists, Not What to Believe. Assistants prepare Clients for the world as it is. Where a topic is sensitive — religion, culture, gender, sexuality, identity, politics, family structure — the Assistant explains what exists and how to navigate it respectfully, so the Client can build good personal and professional relationships and thrive in different settings. The Assistant does not teach values, and does not set out to change what a Client or their family believes. Where a family holds a religious or cultural position, the Assistant works within it rather than against it.
9.1(b) What This Does Not Mean. This section requires neutrality, not silence and not disapproval. It does not permit an Assistant to demean, dismiss, or argue against any person — including the Client themselves — on the basis of religion, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, family status, or any other ground protected by the Human Rights Code (British Columbia). Telling a Client that who they are is wrong is itself teaching a value, and is a breach of this section. Where a Client raises something about their own life or identity, the Assistant listens, does not judge, and where appropriate refers the family to a qualified professional.
9.1(c) Safety and the Law Come First. Nothing in section 9.1(a) or 9.1(b) limits the Assistant’s duty to answer a direct question about safety honestly, to give accurate information a Client needs to be safe, or to make a report under section 10.2(a). A family’s beliefs never override a child’s or an adult’s safety. If an Assistant is asked to withhold information a Client needs in order to be safe, they decline the request and raise it directly with the parent or family member responsible, so the two of them can agree how to handle it. PM does not mediate that conversation. Where a person may be at risk, section 10.2(a) applies and reporting comes first.
9.2 Compliance with Law. The Assistant will comply with all applicable laws, including occupational health and safety laws, in performing the Services.
9.3 What Happens If Standards Are Not Met. PM does not correct, warn, write up, or performance-review how the Assistant delivers the Services. Where conduct falls below the standards in sections 9, 10 or 11, PM’s remedies are only those set out in this Agreement: to decline further introductions, to suspend or remove the listing under section 12.3, to end this Agreement under section 12.2 or 12.4, and to pursue the remedies in sections 5 and 11. PM will tell the Assistant in writing when it does any of those things, and why, so the Assistant can respond or take their business elsewhere. Nothing here obliges the Assistant to accept correction, attend a meeting, or change how they work; their remedy, equally, is to end this Agreement under section 12.2.
9.4 Non-Disparagement. Neither Party will publicly disparage the other, online or otherwise. Nothing in this section limits any right a Party has by law.
10.1 Confidential Information. “Confidential Information” means any non-public information the Assistant learns during an Engagement, including a Client's personal, medical, family, or financial information; information about minors or vulnerable persons in the Client's household; and PM's business information, pricing, Platform features, and Client lists.
10.2 Use and Disclosure. The Assistant will hold all Confidential Information in confidence and will not use it for any purpose other than performing the Services for the Client to whom it pertains, or as this section permits.
10.2(a) Reporting harm always comes first. Nothing in this Agreement prevents, delays, or penalises the Assistant for reporting that a child or an adult may be at risk. The Assistant may — and where the law requires it, must — make a report under the Child, Family and Community Service Act, the Adult Guardianship Act, or any other statute providing for the reporting of abuse, neglect, or a person in need of protection, to a designated agency, the police, or any other body, whether or not the law compels that particular report. PM will never treat such a report as a breach of this Agreement or as a ground for anything under section 12. The Assistant does not need PM’s permission and does not need to tell PM first.
10.2(b) Other permitted disclosure. The Assistant may also disclose Confidential Information where required by law; where necessary to obtain emergency medical or police assistance; where necessary to obtain their own legal, tax, insurance, or professional advice; and where necessary to defend themselves in any claim, complaint, or investigation.
10.2(c) What is not confidential. Information is not Confidential Information to the extent it is or becomes public other than through the Assistant’s breach, was already known to the Assistant, or is independently obtained without breach of any obligation. PM’s published rates and publicly described Platform features are not Confidential Information.
10.3 Survival. Confidentiality obligations survive the end of this Agreement indefinitely.
10.4 This Agreement is Confidential. This Agreement, its terms, and any document PM provides in connection with it are confidential business documents, given to the Assistant for the purpose of entering into and performing Engagements. The Assistant will not publish, post, upload, screenshot, or otherwise distribute this Agreement or any part of it — including to social media, forums, review sites, messaging groups, or any other public or semi-public place. The Assistant may share it with their own legal, tax, financial, or insurance advisor; with their spouse or immediate family; with anyone whose advice they need in order to decide whether to sign; with another Assistant on the Platform; and with any court, tribunal, regulator, or government body — whether or not the disclosure is compelled, including the Employment Standards Branch, WorkSafeBC, the Canada Revenue Agency, the BC Human Rights Tribunal, and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. PM will not treat any disclosure permitted by this section as a breach, and will give the Assistant a copy of their signed Agreement on request, at any time, free of charge. This obligation survives the end of this Agreement for three (3) years.
11.1 Off-Platform Solicitation Prohibited. During this Agreement and for twelve (12) months after the end of each Engagement, the Assistant will not, directly or indirectly:
11.2 Remedies. A breach of section 11.1 entitles PM to recover its actual proven losses arising from that breach. PM may recover under this section once only in respect of any one off-Platform arrangement, however many sessions or months that arrangement comprises, and any Abandonment Fee already paid under section 5.3 in respect of the same Engagement is credited against what is recoverable here. PM is not entitled to recover twice for the same conduct. PM’s remedies are not limited to money. A breach of section 11.1 is grounds for PM to end this Agreement immediately and without notice under section 12.4(a), with or without seeking any monetary recovery — and in most cases that is the remedy PM will use. PM’s separate right under section 12.3 to suspend or remove a listing is a commercial decision, is not discipline, and is not a finding of wrongdoing; nothing in this section makes it one.
11.3 Reasonable Scope. The restrictions in section 11.1 are limited to Clients introduced to the Assistant through the Platform and last twelve (12) months after the end of the relevant Engagement. They are not limited by geography because they are not limited by place — they attach to specific Clients PM introduced, wherever those Clients live. The Parties acknowledge that this duration and this subject-matter are reasonable in light of the legitimate business interests being protected, and that the Assistant is otherwise free to work anywhere, for anyone.
12.1 Term. This Agreement begins on the date first written and continues until ended under this section 12.
12.2 End by Either Party. Either Party may end this Agreement at any time, with or without cause, on seven (7) days' written notice (which may be given by email or through the Platform).
12.3 Removal or Suspension of a Listing. Separately from ending this Agreement, PM may at any time — for any reason or no reason, and without notice — suspend, hide, or remove the Assistant’s profile and listing from the Platform, and may decline to introduce the Assistant to any Client. PM is not required to give a reason.
How PM presents its marketplace is a commercial decision. Removal or suspension of a listing is not discipline (see section 9.3), is not a finding of wrongdoing, and does not of itself end this Agreement or any Engagement already under way.
Where a listing is suspended or removed while an Engagement is in progress, the Assistant remains entitled to fees for hours already delivered, and section 5 continues to apply to any unearned fees. Nothing in this section permits PM to act for a reason prohibited by the Human Rights Code (British Columbia).
12.4 Immediate End. PM may end this Agreement immediately, without notice, if the Assistant: (a) breaches sections 10 or 11; (b) engages in conduct that, in PM's reasonable judgment, exposes a Client or PM to significant risk of harm; (c) misrepresents qualifications, certifications, or criminal record status; or (d) is the subject of a credible complaint that, in PM's reasonable judgment, warrants immediate removal from the Platform.
12.5 End of an Engagement. Either the Assistant or a Client may end any individual Engagement at any time. Ending an Engagement does not, of itself, end this Agreement.
12.6 No Severance. No severance, termination pay, or pay in lieu of notice is owed by either Party.
12.7 Survival. These sections continue after this Agreement ends, for the periods stated: 5 (Refund of Unearned Fees); 9.4 (Non-Disparagement) for two (2) years; 10.2 (Confidentiality) — indefinitely for a Client’s personal, medical, family or financial information and for information about minors or vulnerable persons, and for three (3) years for PM’s business information; 10.4 for three (3) years; 11 (Non-Solicitation) for twelve (12) months as set out in that section; 13 (Intellectual Property); 14 (Indemnification) for two (2) years as set out in section 14.5; and 16 (Assistant’s Acknowledgments).
13.1 Assistant's Pre-Existing IP. The Assistant retains ownership of skills, methods, know-how, or materials they bring to an Engagement.
13.2 PM's IP. PM retains ownership of the Platform, the PM brand, all marketing materials, and all software, databases, and content that are part of the Platform. The Assistant receives no licence to PM's intellectual property other than the right to use the Platform as described in this Agreement.
13.3 Client Materials. Materials created for or with a specific Client (e.g., care notes, schedules, lesson plans) belong to that Client unless otherwise agreed in writing.
13.4 Photographs, Video, and Testimonials. Where the Assistant submits a photograph, video, or testimonial to PM, the Assistant grants PM a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, edit, and display it on the Platform, on the Assistant’s profile, on PM’s website and directory, and in PM’s advertising and marketing in any medium. The Assistant confirms they own or have permission to grant these rights. Nothing in this section limits any right a person has by law.
13.5 How Long. The licence in section 13.4 continues after this Agreement ends and does not expire. PM may continue to use submitted material on the Platform and in its advertising and marketing without further permission or payment.
13.6 People in the Picture. PM obtains consent from each family, under the Client Agreement, for photographs and video taken during Engagements to be used on the Platform and in PM’s advertising and marketing. The Assistant does not need to obtain that consent. Photographs that show faces are welcome and are what PM uses. A submission made under this section is not a breach of section 10.2.
14.1 What the Assistant covers. The Assistant will reimburse PM for any claim, loss, or liability to the extent it is caused by the Assistant’s negligent, reckless, or wilful act or omission in delivering an Engagement, or by the Assistant’s breach of this Agreement. This does not extend to anything caused by PM’s own act, omission, or breach. The Assistant’s total liability under this section is capped at the greater of $10,000 or the fees the Assistant received through the Platform in the twelve (12) months before the claim arose — except in the case of fraud or wilful misconduct, where no cap applies.
14.2 What PM covers. PM does not indemnify the Assistant. PM gives no undertaking to reimburse, fund, hold, or guarantee any claim, loss, or liability of the Assistant, whether arising from an Engagement, from a Client, or otherwise. The Assistant contracts with the Client directly and carries their own work. Nothing in this section limits any right the Assistant has by law.
14.3 Tax. Each Party is responsible for its own tax filings and remittances. Where a taxing authority collects from one Party an amount that is properly the other’s, the other reimburses it. The Assistant is not responsible for any employer’s portion, any WorkSafeBC assessment, or any penalty or interest arising from PM’s own failure to file or remit.
14.4 Employment claims are not covered by this section. Nothing in this Agreement requires the Assistant to pay PM’s costs in any claim, complaint, or proceeding in which the Assistant asserts that they are or were an employee, and nothing here limits any right a person has by law.
14.5 How a claim works. A Party seeking reimbursement gives the other written notice within thirty (30) days of learning of the claim, lets the other conduct the defence if they ask to, and does not settle without their written consent, which will not be unreasonably withheld. This section survives the end of this Agreement for two (2) years.
These are binding promises by PM, not descriptions. If PM breaks any promise in the left column, the Assistant may end this Agreement immediately on written notice — without the seven days in section 12.2 and without any liability under section 5.3.
| PM will not | PM will |
|---|---|
| require the Assistant to hold any day or hour open beyond the recurring slots the Assistant and Client agree between themselves · require the Assistant to accept any Engagement · supervise or observe sessions · review, correct, or evaluate the Assistant’s work product · require attendance at any meeting, huddle, or training · direct the method, product, or sequence of the Assistant’s work · require branded clothing or materials · track the Assistant’s location · require check-ins on any PM-set cadence · issue warnings or notices of correction, or impose any consequence for the Assistant’s work other than the remedies expressly set out in this Agreement · prohibit the Assistant from working for other clients or platforms, except as set out in section 11.1 · represent to any Client that PM has assessed, endorsed, or vouched for the Assistant’s suitability, qualifications, insurance, or experience — beyond confirming under section 7.2(c) that a required document was provided and is current on its face. | market the Platform and the Assistants listed on it · introduce Clients to Assistants · provide software for scheduling, messaging, and hour-logging · collect its own Platform Fee, and provide the route by which the Client pays the Assistant directly, as set out in section 4 · check that the records required by section 7.2 were provided and are current on their face, and show on the profile which records the Assistant holds · set and publish the standards of conduct in sections 9, 10 and 11 as conditions of listing · suspend or remove a listing, or end this Agreement, under section 12 · pursue the remedies in sections 5 and 11. |
15.1 PM’s public statements will match this Agreement. PM will not make, or leave standing, any public or Client-facing statement about the screening, vetting, interviewing, reference-checking, certification, insurance, or driving records of Assistants that this Agreement does not require the Assistant to hold or PM to perform. The Assistant’s obligations under section 14 do not extend to any claim arising from a statement made by PM.
16.1 Self-Employment. The Assistant is self-employed. The Assistant understands the difference between an employee (T4, CPP/EI deducted, covered by the Employment Standards Act) and an independent contractor (files a T2125, remits own CPP and (if elected) EI, receives no T4 or T4A from PM, not covered by employment-standards legislation). The Assistant has chosen to enter this Agreement as an independent contractor.
16.2 Tax Filing. The Assistant will report income earned under this Agreement on Form T2125 (or equivalent) on their personal tax return. The Assistant — not PM — is responsible for remitting income tax, CPP, and any elected EI premiums to CRA.
16.3 Vocabulary. This Agreement uses the language of independent contracting — Assistant, Engagement Fee, Platform Fee, end of an Engagement, the Parties, Platform, Client — because that is what the relationship is. Nothing turns on the words used. If a court, tribunal, or agency ever examines this relationship, it will look at how the Parties actually behave, and so should they.
16.4 Other Sources of Income. The Assistant is encouraged to maintain other clients, jobs, or sources of income and intends to operate as a genuinely independent contractor with multiple sources of work over time.
16.5 No Employment Promised. No representative of PM has promised the Assistant employment, implied employment, or used language suggesting employment. The Assistant has not been led to believe that this Agreement is or will become an employment relationship.
16.6 Independent Judgment. The Assistant has read this Agreement, has had the opportunity to seek independent legal advice, and has either obtained such advice or waived the opportunity to do so.
16.7 Legal Recourse Understood. The Assistant has read sections 5 (Completion of Engagement & Refund of Unearned Fees) and 11 (Non-Solicitation), and acknowledges that PM may enforce those sections in the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal, BC Small Claims Court, or BC Supreme Court. The Assistant understands that this is the normal commercial recourse between independent contracting parties and reinforces — rather than contradicts — the contractor nature of this Agreement.
17.1 Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the federal laws of Canada applicable in BC.
17.2 Forum. Any dispute is resolved in the courts of British Columbia, or where applicable, the Civil Resolution Tribunal.
17.3 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including any signed schedules) is the entire agreement between the Parties on its subject matter and supersedes any prior written or oral understanding.
17.4 Amendment. This Agreement may be amended only in writing signed by both Parties.
17.5 Severability. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force.
17.6 No Waiver. No failure or delay by either Party in exercising or enforcing a right under this Agreement is a waiver of that right, and exercising a right in part does not prevent exercising it later in full. A waiver counts only if it is written and signed by the Party giving it, and a waiver on one occasion is not a waiver on any other.
17.7 Assignment. PM may assign this Agreement, with its rights and obligations, to a successor to substantially the whole of PM’s business, provided PM gives the Assistant written notice and the successor agrees in writing to take on PM’s obligations. If PM assigns, the Assistant may end this Agreement within thirty (30) days without liability, and may withdraw the licence in section 13.4 at the same time. The Assistant may assign this Agreement to a company they control, on written notice, provided the Assistant still personally delivers the Services and remains responsible under sections 5, 10, 11 and 14. Neither Party may otherwise assign without the other’s written consent, which will not be unreasonably withheld.
17.8 Notices. A notice under this Agreement is given in writing, by email to the address each Party has given the other, and is deemed received on the next business day unless the sender gets a delivery-failure message. A message through the Platform is fine for routine matters, but a notice ending this Agreement under section 12, a demand under section 5.2, or any notice that starts a time limit must also be sent by email — the Platform alone is not enough. Where PM has suspended or ended the Assistant’s Platform access, PM will give every notice by email. A notice ending this Agreement under section 12.4 will state the ground relied on. Each Party keeps the other informed of a current email address.
17.9 Counterparts and Electronic Signature. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts and by electronic signature, each of which has the same effect as an original.
Completed by the Assistant at the time of signing — to record self-employment status consistent with this Agreement.
The terms below have the following meanings throughout this Agreement and its Schedules. This Schedule forms part of the Agreement whether or not it is separately signed.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Assistant | A self-employed independent contractor engaged through the Platform |
| Engagement | A discrete service arrangement between an Assistant and a Client |
| Engagement Fee | Amount paid by a Client for an Engagement |
| Platform Fee | The 30% portion of the Engagement Fee retained by PM |
| End of Engagement | Conclusion of a specific Engagement |
| End of Agreement | Conclusion of this entire contractor agreement |
| The Parties | PM and the Assistant |
| Platform | The PM website, app, and supporting software |
| Client | A family or individual receiving Services |
Signed at the start of each Engagement, including renewals with a Client previously served. Each Engagement is a fresh, free-standing commercial arrangement.
Engagement #:
Client:
Start date:
Anticipated end date:
Engagement Fee structure:
The Assistant confirms: