The Official Web Site of the State of South Carolina

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Privacy Statement

Thank you for visiting this South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) web site. DEW is committed to preserving your privacy when you visit DEW websites. This privacy statement addresses the collection, security and disclosure of information that may be obtained and maintained by DEW.

WHAT WE COLLECT

DEW collects two types of information from users:

Non-Personal Information
Information collected automatically when you visit a DEW website, including IP addresses, browser type, operating system, referring website, and pages visited. This information is used in aggregate to improve site performance and usability.

Personal Information (Personally Identifiable Information) 
Information a user voluntarily provides that identifies them as an individual, including but not limited to name, email address, mailing address, phone number, Social Security number, employment history, and other information required to deliver DEW services or benefits.

In general, please note the information collected, whether personally identifiable, is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video and other graphic formats you send us. Information is retained in accordance with existing laws, rules, regulations, and other policies.

PURPOSE 
Information collected through DEW websites and services is used for the following purposes:
•    To provide unemployment insurance benefits, employment services, workforce development services, and other programs and services administered by DEW
•    To communicate with users and respond to inquiries or service requests
•    To evaluate, improve, or administer workforce programs
•    To maintain system functionality, security and performance

AUTHORITY AND OWNERSHIP
This website and its associated services are provided by DEW. In some cases, services may be supported or operated in partnership with authorized contractors or service providers.

The collection, use, and disclosure of personally identifiable information are conducted in accordance with applicable federal and state laws, including IRC Section 6103(d), regulations, and workforce program requirements, including those governing unemployment insurance, employment services, workforce development programs, and reporting obligations.

CONSENT TO COLLECTION AND USE
By using DEW websites, applications, or services, and by voluntarily submitting personal information through these platforms, you consent to the collection, use, disclosure, transmission, and storage of your information as described in this Privacy Statement.

If you do not agree with these terms, you should not use DEW systems or provide personal information through these services.

WHAT WE DO WITH THE INFORMATION WE COLLECT
Information obtained as a result of requests to DEW web sites will not be sold or given to any organization for marketing purposes.

If your data is stored in our system, it may be accessed by our staff members in the performance of their job duties and may be subject to disclosure by rule, regulation, or law. 
Your data may be used to determine eligibility for benefits, employment services, workforce development programs, reemployment services, and other programs or services administered by DEW, and for the administration of the agency.

In addition, information requests sent to DEW web sites may be maintained in order to respond to the request, forward that request to the appropriate department or agency, communicate updates to the system that may be of interest to citizens, or provide DEW web developers with valuable customer feedback to assist in improving the site.

The Family Privacy Protection Act of 2002, S. C. Code Ann. §§ 30-2-10 through 30-2-50, prohibits persons or private entities from using any personal information obtained from DEW’s web sites for commercial solicitation purposes. A person knowingly violating this prohibition is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to the penalties specified in S.C. Code Ann. § 30-2-50(D).

Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), 15 U.S.C. § 6501, et seq.: Our website is not geared towards children under 13 years of age.  Younger visitors should always check with their parents or guardians before entering information on any website, and we encourage families to discuss their household guidelines regarding the online sharing of personal information.

PUBLIC RECORDS AND WHEN WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION
DEW does not sell personal information for marketing purposes.

Information may be shared with authorized DEW partners and service providers involved in program delivery.

Because DEW is a public agency, information collected on this site may be subject to disclosure under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  FOIA includes various exemptions, however, including an exemption that permits public bodies to withhold from disclosure certain types of information of a personal nature in order to preserve the privacy of individuals. Visitors should be aware that information collected by DEW on its websites may be subject to inspection, if such information is a public record or not otherwise protected from disclosure.

Information collected pursuant to the South Carolina Employment and Workforce Law is also protected from disclosure by the confidentiality provisions of S.C. Code Ann. §§ 41-29-160 et seq. and 20 C.F.R. § 603. However, exceptions can be found in S.C. Code Ann. §41-29-170 and in 20 C.F.R. § 603.5.  We also may be required, by law, to disclose your data without your consent and without notice in order to comply with a valid legal process, such as a subpoena, court order, or search warrant 
 

HOW WE PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION
DEW is committed to data security and the data quality of personally identifiable information that is either available from, or collected by, DEW web sites, and has taken precautions to protect personally identifiable information from loss, misuse or alteration. Data maintained in DEW’s systems will be protected using the security protocols established by the Division of Information Security (DIS).  The Division of Information Security’s policies and procedures may be viewed at http://www.admin.sc.gov/technology/information-security.

Any third parties responsible for this information are committed to the same principles, and also are required by contract to follow the same policies and guidelines as the State of South Carolina in protecting this information. Unless otherwise prohibited by state or federal law, rule or regulation, individuals will be given the ability to access and correct personally identifiable information maintained by us that may be in error.

COOKIES
In addition to information collected automatically, we use cookies to support the internal functionality of the website. Cookies, which are small pieces of information sent to your browser by a website that you visit, are stored on your computer and used to track usage patterns, traffic trends, and customer behavior, as well as to record other information from a website. When you register on this website, cookies also allow us to save information so that you will not have to re-enter it the next time you visit. Many content adjustments and customer service improvements are made based on the data derived from cookies.  Information that we collect from cookies will not be used to create profiles of individual users and only will be used in aggregate form. DEW may use cookies to store information on your computer.

LINK DISCLAIMER
Websites maintained by DEW may contain links to other websites, including those owned or maintained by other government, private, or not-for-profit entities. Such links are provided for convenience and/or information purposes only. A link does not constitute an endorsement of content, viewpoint, policies, products or services of that website. Once you link to a website not maintained by DEW, you are subject to the terms and conditions of that web site, including but not limited to its privacy policy.

INFORMATION DISCLAIMER
Information provided on web sites maintained by DEW is intended to allow the public convenient access to public information. While all attempts are made to provide accurate, current and reliable information, we cannot guarantee that the information will be error-free. Therefore, DEW and respective employees, officers and agencies expressly deny any guarantee of the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published through DEW web sites and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information.

Any person who relies upon such information obtained from these websites, does so at his or her own risk.

The contents of this website are published for information purposes only and subject to change without notice.
 

Questions or concerns about this privacy statement or to resolve a privacy issue or update or for information on updating or correcting information may be directed to Privacy@dew.sc.gov.