SD SHRM Online Privacy Statement

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What information of mine does SD SHRM Online collect?
Our goal is to become your destination for HR-related information by providing information, services, and product offerings that are most relevant to you in the most convenient way. To achieve this goal, SD SHRM Online collects information about site visitors. Information collected online is usually defined as being either anonymous or personally identifiable.

Anonymous information refers to data that cannot be tied back to a specific individual. SD SHRM collects some information each time a visitor comes to a SD SHRM website, so we can improve the overall quality of the visitor's online experience. For example, SD SHRM collects the visitor's IP address, browser, and platform type (e.g., a Netscape browser on a Windows platform). Gathering this data helps us to learn what browsers we need to support. Other anonymous information helps us determine what sections of SD SHRM Online are most popular and how many visitors come to our site. You do not have to register with SD SHRM Online before we can collect this anonymous information.

Personally identifiable information refers to data that tells us specifically who you are (e.g., your name and postal address). You are only required to provide such information if you want to take advantage of optional products and services provided through our website.

SD SHRM collects personal information in the following ways from different parts of its website:
SD SHRM Membership Applications: You are sharing personally identifiable information, including your name and mailing address, with us when you join SD SHRM or renew your SD SHRM membership through our website. SD SHRM members are given a SD SHRM membership number, and this member ID and password enables members to take advantage of restricted content and features on SD SHRM Online.
Other Registration: You may be asked for personal information when registering for specific services. For example, if you subscribe to an email newsletter, you will be asked to provide your email address.

2. What are "cookies" and how does SD SHRM use them? A cookie is a small text file containing a unique identification number that is transferred from a website to the hard drive of your computer. This unique number identifies your web browser, but not you, to SD SHRM computers whenever you visit SD SHRM Online. A cookie will not provide personally identifiable information about you, such as your name and address. The use of cookies is now an industry standard and cookies are currently used on most major websites. Most web browsers are initially set up to accept cookies. If you prefer, you can reset your browser to notify you when you have received a cookie. You can also set your browser to refuse to accept cookies altogether. While SD SHRM does not require you to use cookies, keep in mind that certain services will not function properly if you set your browser to refuse all cookies.

To help serve you better, SD SHRM generally uses cookies to:
Identify return visitors. Cookies let us remember your web browser so we can provide personalized member services. Cookies also allow us to identify SD SHRM members who are returning to the site, so you will not have to re-enter a member ID and password the next time you visit.

3. What organization collects the information and who has access to it?
Data collected through SD SHRM's website is generally collected and maintained solely by SD SHRM. More specifically:
Personally identifiable information. When you provide personally identifiable information on SD SHRM Online to register for a service, buy a product, or take advantage of a promotion, that information is collected and maintained solely by SD SHRM, unless specifically stated otherwise at the point of collection. SD SHRM will inform you at the point of collection if your personal data is being shared with another organization. If you do not want to share your information with that company, you can choose not to use that service.

If you join SD SHRM or renew your membership through our website, you provide personally identifiable information on the membership application. SD SHRM sells mailing lists (names and mailing addresses) of members to selected third parties. If you wish to opt -out of mailing list sales at any time during your SD SHRM membership, you may do so by following the directions in Item 6 below. SD SHRM does not sell member email addresses to third parties.

Anonymous information. We disclose to third party sponsors/advertisers aggregate statistics (i.e., impressions and click-throughs on a company's advertisement). Also, we may share aggregate website statistics with the media or other third parties. No personally identifiable information is disclosed to these sponsors/advertisers or other third parties as part of this process –only information in an aggregate form.

Be aware that SD SHRM's sponsors, advertisers, and third party content providers have links on our site that take you to other websites. For example, when you click on an ad displayed on SD SHRM Online, you are linked to another site. Please note also that links to other websites are provided throughout SD SHRM Online for users' information and convenience. SD SHRM hopes that all third parties involved adhere to our policies regarding the privacy of our users. However, SD SHRM's Online Privacy Policy does not cover third party data collection practices, and SD SHRM Online does not assume any responsibility for any actions of third parties.

4. How does SD SHRM use the information it collects?
SD SHRM collects information to provide you with the services you request and to improve our website.

If you join SD SHRM or renew your SD SHRM membership through our website, we use the personally identifiable information you provide in the membership application to send you SD SHRM publications, information about member benefits and special offers, and other information that SD SHRM believes is relevant and useful to its members. SD SHRM also sells mailing lists (names and mailing addresses) of members to selected HR service providers. You may opt out of mailing list sales at any time during your membership, as described in Item 6 below. SD SHRM does not sell member email addresses to third parties.

As mentioned above, SD SHRM uses the aggregate, anonymous data collected to let our sponsors/advertisers know the number of impressions or views and the number of "click-throughs" on their advertisement(s). SD SHRM also uses this aggregate, anonymous data to perform statistical analyses of the collective characteristics and behavior of our site visitors; to measure user interests regarding specific areas of SD SHRM Online; and to analyze how and where best to use our resources. Without such data, we would not know which parts of SD SHRM Online are the most popular, and we would not be able to change and update the content and services appropriately.

SD SHRM may be required by law enforcement or judicial authorities to provide information on individual users to the appropriate governmental authorities. In matters involving a danger to personal or public safety, SD SHRM may voluntarily provide information to appropriate governmental authorities.

5. How can I modify my SD SHRM member information?
SD SHRM members have the following options for changing and modifying information previously provided:
You can send an email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
You can visit: HYPERLINK "http://www.shrm.org/memberrecord"www.sdshrm.org/memberrecord
You can send mail to the following postal address:
P.O. Box 19311
San Diego, CA 92159-0311

6. What is the opt-out policy for SD SHRM Online?
SD SHRM provides members and customers the opportunity to opt-out of receiving communications from us and our partners. If you no longer wish to receive specific communications or services, you have the following options:
You can send an email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
You can send mail to the following postal address:
P.O. Box 19311
San Diego, CA 92159-0311

Instructions for opting out of any SD SHRM email newsletter you receive are included with each email.

7. What security procedures are in place to protect against the loss, misuse or alteration of my information?
SD SHRM Online has security measures, such as firewalls, in place to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of your user data under our control. While we cannot guarantee the loss, misuse or alteration of data will not occur, we take reasonable precautions to prevent such unfortunate occurrences. Any other particularly sensitive information, such as a credit card number collected for a commerce transaction, is encrypted prior to transmission.

You are ultimately responsible for the security of your SD SHRM member ID and password. You may not share your SD SHRM member ID and password with colleagues or friends so they can access content or features on SD SHRM Online that are restricted to SD SHRM members only. You should log out of your browser at the end of each computer session to ensure that others cannot access your personal information and correspondence, especially if you share a computer with someone else or are using a computer in a public place like a library or Internet cafe.

8. How does SD SHRM Online use bulletin boards, discussion lists, and moderated chats?
This site makes bulletin boards, discussion lists, and moderated chats available to its members. Any information that is disclosed in these areas becomes public information, and you should exercise caution when deciding to disclose your personal information. Although users may post messages that will appear on the message boards anonymously, SD SHRM does retain a record of who posts all notes.

Privacy Policy Effective January, 2009. Updated March, 2010.