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Personnel Files

How often can employees see their files?

09/01/2015
Q. Does Pennsylvania law limit on how frequently employees may review their personnel files?

Should you copy and retain employees’ I-9 supporting documents?

06/24/2015

HR and hiring managers have so many decisions to make when it comes to I-9 and E-Verify compliance. One of the most frequently asked policy decisions is actually quite mundane on its surface, yet the answer can be tricky.

Vendor contracts can cut data breach liability

06/24/2015
News that Chinese hackers may have accessed the personnel records of some 14 million federal workers has sent shivers down the spine of the HR industry. It’s a nightmare scenario that could affect almost any workplace. A good contract with your vendor is your best protection against liability.

Bad worker meets bad documentation: Who wins in court?

06/16/2015
As the following case shows, if you plan to fire an employee for misconduct and insubordination, a court won’t look kindly on that gaping hole in the employee’s personnel file.

What counts–and doesn’t–as part of a ‘personnel record’

03/11/2015
You probably receive at least occasional requests from current and former employees to view or receive a copy of their personnel file. This sounds like a straightforward request. But must an employer produce all documents in the employee’s “file?” Must information that may not be in an employee’s file be produced?

Spring cleaning: It’s time to freshen up your job descriptions

02/18/2015
Do they bear enough relation to what your employees are actually doing every day?

What kind of access must I allow employees who want to see their personnel records?

01/26/2015
Q. One of my employees recently asked me, in person, if she could view her personnel records. What does California law require?

Make it a habit: Review résumé one year after hire

01/20/2015
After a year or more of working with someone you hired, you don’t remember much about how they presented them­­selves on their résumé. Ancient history, right? Now’s the time to dig it out of the files.

Why bother with job descriptions?

12/23/2014
Q. Are employers required to have job descriptions for every position within the organization?

Providing References to Other Employers

12/19/2014

HR Law 101: Despite all the risks, providing other employers with references about your former employees is a good business practice. If you refused to provide references, eventually you would compromise your ability to find out about applicants you’re considering hiring …