The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats you send us. The information is retained in accordance with Chapter 40.14 RCW, Preservation and Destruction of Public Records. We use your email to respond appropriately. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to further improve our web site, or to forward the email to another agency for appropriate action. Survey information, resumes, and other documents you submit are used for the purpose(s) stated.

What we will not collect or request
The Department of Personnel will never request that you send personally identifiable information via email. This includes the requesting of Social Security Numbers, User IDs or passwords. Direct requests for such information should be reported to the contacts listed below. The Department does not solicit personal information except via our online employment pages and then only as it pertains to the employment process.

Back to top

Personal Information and Choice

You May Choose Whether to Provide Personal Information On-Line
"Personal information" is information about a natural person that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information includes such things as an individual's name, address, and phone number. A domain name or Internet Protocol address is not considered personal information.

We collect no personal information about you unless you voluntarily provide it to us by sending us an email, participating in a survey, or completing an on-line form. You may choose not to contact us by e-mail, participate in a survey, or provide any personal information using an on-line form. Your choice to not participate in these activities will not impair your ability to browse the Department of Personnel’s web site and read or download any information provided on the site. See the Contact Information at the end of this privacy notice for alternate ways to contact us.

If personal information is requested on the web site or volunteered by the user, state law and the federal Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it. However, this information is a public record once you provide it, and may be subject to public inspection and copying if not protected by federal or state law.

If you believe that your personal information is being used for a purpose other than what was intended when submitted, you may contact the Department of Personnel as shown in the Contact Information section of this statement.

The Department of Personnel Web site is a general audience site and we do not knowingly collect any personal information from children. Users are cautioned that the collection of personal information requested from or volunteered by children on-line or by email will be treated the same as information given by an adult, and may be subject to public access.

Back to top

Public Access to Information

In the State Of Washington, laws exist to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by state government.

All information collected at this site becomes public records that may be subject to inspection and copying by the public, unless an exemption in law exists. RCW 42.56.070 states that:

Each agency, in accordance with published rules, shall make available for public inspection and copying all public records, unless the record falls within the specific exemptions of the Public Records Act or other statute, which exempts or prohibits disclosure of specific information or records.

In the event of a conflict between this Privacy Notice and the Public Records Act or other law governing the agency's disclosure of records, the Public Records Act or other applicable law will control.

To the extent required to prevent an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy interests protected by RCW 42.56.210 and 42.56.320, an agency shall delete identifying details in a manner consistent with RCW 42.56.310 and 42.56.320 when it makes available or publishes any public record; however, in each case, the justification for the deletion shall be explained fully in writing.

Nondisclosure of Certain Personal Information
The Department of Personnel may request you to provide certain personal/private information in order to process your application or resume for employment purposes. The information is used only for the purposes stated on the web site pages where such information is requested. You may choose not to provide this information through our on-line forms. If you choose not to provide personal information on-line, but still wish to be considered for employment purposes, you will need to provide the pertinent information in person, by email, or by conventional mail.

The following laws may prevent the Department of Personnel from disclosing the personal/private information about you except as necessary to process your application or resume for employment purposes:

(a) The residential address and residential telephone number of employees of a public agency that are held by the agency in personnel records, employment or volunteer rosters, or mailing lists of employees. RCW 42.56.250(3)

(b) Personal information in files maintained for employees of any public agency to the extent that disclosure would violate their right to privacy. RCW 42.56.230

(c) All applications for public employment, including the names of applicants, resumes, and other related materials submitted with respect to an applicant. RCW 42.56.250(2)

Back to top

Review and Correction of Personally Identifiable Information

You can review any personal information we collect about you by using the information in the Contact Information section at the end of this notice. You may recommend changes to your personal information you believe to be inaccurate by submitting a written request that credibly shows the inaccuracy. We will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections.

Back to top

Cookies and Applets

• The Department of Personnel web site does not currently use "applets".
   
• The Department of Personnel web site does not currently use persistent “cookies” or tracking mechanisms that collect personally identifiable information on our sites.
   
• Our e-Learning and Employee Self Service (ESS) sites use session cookies that anonymously collect a visitor’s IP address and the date and time of the visit. The session cookies are used to maintain state for the current session. We use these session cookies for site management purposes. Session cookies are temporary files that are erased when you close all browsers.

Security

The Department of Personnel, as developer and manager of this web site, has taken several steps to safeguard the integrity of its telecommunications and computing infrastructure, including but not limited to the design, implementation and day-to-day practices of the entire Department of Personnel operating environment as part of its continuing commitment to risk management.

This information should not be construed in any way as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof, the security of information provided via the Department of Personnel web site.

Back to top

Here is what you should know about the security of the information you provide to us:

• Email that you send us is not necessarily secure against interception. If you email communication includes sensitive information like your Social Security Number or other personally identifiable information, you may want to contact us through mail or telephone.
   
• The information you provide to us is stored securely.
   
• Information collected by Department of Personnel is not used for commercial marketing purposes. The Department does not sell information collected online.

Disclaimer

The Department of Personnel provides links to other web sites. These include links to web sites operated by other government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private businesses. A link does not constitute an endorsement of content, viewpoint, policies, products or services of that website. When you link to another site, you are no longer on the Department of Personnel web site and this Privacy Notice will not apply. Once you link to another website not maintained by the Department, you are subject to the terms and conditions of that website, including but not limited to its privacy policy.

The Department of Personnel provides this web site as a service to our customers. We strive to make sure that the information provided is as accurate and current as possible. However, occasional mistakes may occur, due to human or technical error. Therefore, neither the Department of Personnel nor the State of Washington, nor any agency, officer, or employee of the State of Washington warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published by this system, nor endorses any content, viewpoints, products, or services linked from this system, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.

The Department of Personnel reserves the right to revise and update this Privacy Notice at any time by posting such revised Privacy Notice at the Department of Personnel home page.

Back to top

Department of Personnel Contact Information

To access your personally identifiable information, if we collect any; request correction of factual errors in your personally identifiable information; or to offer comments about the Department of Personnel web site or the information in this privacy notice, please contact us as follows:

By Telephone:
Voice: (360) 664-6400
TDD: (360) 664-6211
Fax: (360) 586-6235

By Mail:
Department of Personnel
PO Box 47580
Olympia, WA 98504-7580

By E-mail:
information@dop.wa.gov
Last revised 10/1/07

Definitions

1. Cookie

A "cookie" is a small text file that a Web site can place on your computer's hard drive in order, for example, to collect information about your activities on the site or to make it possible for you to use an online "shopping cart" to keep track of items you wish to purchase. The cookie transmits this information back to the Web site's computer, which, generally speaking, is the only computer that can read it. Many consumers do not know that "cookies" are being placed on their computers when they visit Web sites. If you want to know when this happens, or to prevent it from happening, you can set your browser to warn you when a Web site attempts to place a "cookie" on your computer.

Back to top