Title: Employee Records
Approved by:
Date Approved:
Effective Date: 01/01/2002
Responsible Official:
Responsible University Office: Provost's Office or designee, HR HRIS Office, Student Employment Office, and supervisors
Revision History:
Related Legislation and University Policies: Employee Records - Change in Personal Information Procedure
Review Period: 5 years
Date of Last Review:
Relates to: faculty, executive staff, senior staff, staff, and student employees
Policy Statement
The university respects the right to individual privacy and its employees will work to ensure that right. As a general guideline, the university will only retain one official personnel file of personally identifiable information relating to employment and work performance. The Provost's Office or Dean's offices; and the HR Information Systems office in the Human Resources Department will maintain and ensure controlled access to the personnel files of faculty. The HR Information Systems office will maintain and ensure controlled access to staff personnel files. The Student Employment Office or Graduate Office, and Payroll Office will maintain and ensure controlled access to student employee personnel files. Information that is appropriate to maintain includes:
- Payroll and withholding records
- Benefits enrollment and changes
- Personnel information relating to hire, compensation, and performance.
The supervisor is responsible for placing appropriate information in the official records and only those records appropriate to their role as supervisor. The supervisor is also responsible for providing a copy of items submitted to the employee. Supervisors who keep working files must limit the information in the file to attendance records, credentials, licenses, job descriptions, notes of conferences, commendations, and on-going performance management information. On a regular basis these working records should be consolidated into performance-related documentation and submitted to the official file or destroyed, whichever is appropriate.
Employees are responsible for updating necessary personal data as appropriate. Employees have the right to access their personnel files. They also have the right to submit a document to the file if they wish to correct inaccurate information or express disagreement with information on file. The employee should also provide their supervisor with a copy of submitted items.
Other employee information may be kept at the university but not included in the personnel file. These records are critical to a service or compliance agency but not appropriate for inclusion in the personnel record. Examples of these record sources are the HR Employee Relations Office, Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Engagement, Visa and Immigration Services Office, University Health and Counseling Services, Payroll Office, and Public Safety. These functions are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of records in their care and for controlling access to these records.