Personnel files

durasupreme

What items SHOULD and SHOULD NOT be filed in personnel files? Obviously medical slips SHOULD NOT, and also I-9's, but how about insurance enrollment and change forms, 401(k) forms, etc. Curious as to what other companies are doing.

Don D

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 04-26-02 AT 02:24PM (CST)[/font][p][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 04-26-02 AT 02:22 PM (CST)[/font]

The medicals, of course, by law cannot be there. I-9s can be kept there but common wisdom is to keep them separate so an investigator doesn't have a chance to rifle the file while checking I-9s. You can create so many 'other' files in your department it'll drive you up the wall, like we have done in the past. Also, following termination we were running around gathering up 7 files to co-mingle into one for the archives room. We were keeping a separate training accomplished file, a separate file for attendance-incident slips, a separate 401(k)file and separate insurance files. It was enough to run us nuts and practically did. There is always an abundance of reasons to file all that in other locations; however, we determined it to be more sensible to separate out only the medicals and INS forms and tab-collated all the rest in the primary personnel file. Of course, when you think about it, the only reason to file things in the first place is for retrieval, and, if you have to look in 10 different places for documents or have to go to 10 different files to copy an entire personnel file for a hearing officer, you'll be in a quagmire. Our 'fewer files' mentality can be challenged 25 ways, such as a supervisor should not be able to see someone's retirement savings forms or the ISO auditor has no business seeing training files that are mingled with personnel records. Well, we manage that in HR when a supervisor or auditor NEEDS to see a file.

DB

I use an 8-tab cardstock folder for most of the personnel paperwork. Each tab contains specific information such as Tab 1 is payroll changes, Tab 2 is insurance enrollment and changes, Tab 3 is withholdings and garnishments, Tab 4 is performance notes. . . That way when a supervisor does need to look at a folder they don't need to look at every piece of paper - I open the folder to the tab they need. Sure they could sneak a peek but most supervisors don't want to know or have time to worry about information in the other tabs.

I9's, medical slips and worker's comp info are filed else where. Also, occasionally I cross-reference from the main personnel file to the medical file. For example, a retirement system form once contained medical jargon regarding an employee's claim for short-term disability. I put the form in the medical file and a note in the main file stating where to find the information.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

Don D

Sounds like a heckuva good system to me, DB.