what to keep in a personnel file

Records related to employment, such as:

• Employment applications and resumes
• College transcripts
• Job descriptions
• Hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, layoff, rates of pay, other forms of compensation and education and training records
• Letters of recognition, achievement
• Disciplinary notices or documents
• Performance evaluations
• Test documents used by an employer to make an employment decision
• Exit interviews
• Termination records

The following items should be maintained in separate files:

• Medical Records - The American with Disabilities Act requires employers to keep all medical records separate.  All medical records including physical examinations, medical leaves, worker' compensation claims and drug and alcohol testing.
• Immigration (I-9) Forms - It is recommended that these forms be maintained chronologically by year. Keeping this information in a separate file reduces the opportunity for an auditor to pursue and investigate unrelated information.
• Safety Training Records - OSHA may audit company's training records; keeping this information separate will protect the employer from an auditor pursuing other info.
• Equal Employment Opportunity - To minimize claims of discrimination, it is important to keep source documents that identify an individual's race and sex in a separate file. Additionally, if internal/external charges are investigated, it is recommended that these files also be maintained separately.

TYPE OF FILE                       WHO MAY HAVE ACCESS

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