personnel
files are for all records relating to an employee's employment
only one
separate file must be maintained apart from regular personnel
records: medical information (including workers' compensation
records) - that is because the Americans with Disabilities Act
requires that any medical records pertaining to employees be kept in
separate confidential medical files
still, it is a good idea to maintain other types of records in separate files as well:
I-9
records
safety
records
grievance and investigation records
develop a
secure file access procedure to ensure that only those who need to
see certain records can ever see them
the laws on an employee's right to access his or her own personnel file vary from state to state - some states require access to be given, while others leave that up to an employer - most companies allow supervised access and copying of contents at the employee's cost - a company should never place anything in a personnel file that it would be ashamed to show other people (such as 12 average jurors) - remember, anything in any file relating to an employee is discoverable in a claim or lawsuit filed by or on behalf of that employee!
Also see: Personnel Files - Details
