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Access to Central Personnel File

Access to Central Personnel File

Talent and Culture

Access to Central Personnel Files

Responsible Unit: Talent and Culture

Adopted: Sept. 10, 1998

Effective:

Revision History: Nov. 13, 2013

Review Date: N/A

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General Information

Reason For This Procedure

To outline the process for accessing employee central personnel records housed in the Division of Talent and Culture as defined in Higher Education Policy Commission Series 8 - Personnel Administration.

This Procedure Applies To

This procedure applies to all employees on all campuses who have a central personnel file housed in the Division of Talent and Culture of West Virginia University.

Definitions

Personnel File - Confidential file containing documentation regarding the employee’s appointment, compensation, promotion, demotion, transfer, honorary awards, disciplinary actions and election of benefits at the University.

Procedure

An active employee, upon presenting proof of positive identification, is entitled to inspect or to obtain a copy of his/her own personnel file during normal business hours, by contacting Records Management to make an appointment at least twenty-four hours in advance. Materials which were gathered with the employee’s prior agreement to forfeit his/her right of access, such as references, will not be provided to the employee for inspection or copying.

A representative of Records Management shall be present with the employee during the review of the personnel file. The date, time, and location of each review shall be recorded in the personnel file. No documents may be removed from the personnel file by an employee. An employee may petition at any time for either the removal or addition of documents to his/her own personnel file by contacting Employee Relations in the Division of Talent and Culture, which shall make the final determination.

An employee may authorize the release of information in his/her personnel file to a third party upon the execution of a written authorization. An employee’s personnel file may be subject to review by appropriate University officials on a need-to-know basis.

The University may disclose an employee’s personnel file information pursuant to a court order, subpoena, or as required by law. The Office of Legal Affairs shall review such requests prior to any disclosure.

Responsibilities

Interpretation:

Responsibility for interpretation of this administrative procedure rests with the Vice President for Talent and Culture or his/her designee.

Application:

The Division of Talent and Culture is responsible for restricting file access and maintaining the confidentiality of central personnel files.

Contacts

Additional information or questions regarding this procedure should be directed to the Division of Talent and Culture at (304) 293-5700 ext. 1, or at Employment@mail.wvu.edu .