Tag: personnel files

Ask the Expert: When Can a Former Employee See Their Personnel Files?

Question: A former employee who was fired has requested a copy of her personnel file. What documents would she be entitled to receive? Answer: Massachusetts General Laws Ch. 149, §52C outlines what constitutes a personnel file and discusses an employer’s duty to retain that file. The statute further provides a formal process for employees to […]

Employers Can’t Fire Employees for Placing Rebuttal in Their Personnel File After All

Last March, we wrote about a surprising ruling in which the Massachusetts Appeals Court concluded employers in the state aren’t legally prohibited from firing employees for exercising their right to file a rebuttal in response to a negative document placed in their personnel file. The decision wasn’t unanimous, the dissenting opinion was persuasive, and the […]

Reeling from recordkeeping? Sound strategy makes the task manageable

A seemingly vast array of laws requires employers to create and store an equally vast array of records, and keeping up with the task is enough to make anyone’s head spin. The chore is less daunting, though, with some advice and a plan. Ryan A. Olson, an attorney with the Felhaber Larson law firm in […]

New law gives employees in Colorado access to personnel files

by Brad Williams A new state law going into effect January 1 requires most private-sector employers in Colorado to allow employees to inspect and copy their personnel files at least annually upon request. The new law also grants former employees the right to inspect their personnel files once after the termination of their employment. The […]

What Employers Should and Shouldn’t Keep in Employees’ Personnel Files

Labor and employment law attorneys get a lot of questions from employers about personnel files. The most frequently asked question is, “What should I include, and who gets to see them?” Read on as we attempt to sort out some of those questions. HR Guide to Employment Law: A practical compliance reference manual covering 14 […]