Access to Personnel Files

Wilkes University maintains a personnel file on each employee (faculty/staff). The personnel file includes such information as the employee's job application, resumé, college transcripts, job descriptions, records of training, documentation of performance appraisals, course evaluations, peer review materials, letters of recognition, any disciplinary actions, compensation records and salary increases, and other employment records (e.g. honors, publications and awards).

Personnel files are the property of Wilkes University and access to the information they contain is restricted. Generally, only supervisors and management personnel (President, Provost, Vice Presidents, and Deans) of Wilkes University who have a legitimate reason to review information in a file are allowed to do so. Access to personnel files is limited to an employee currently employed, laid off with re-employment rights, or on leave of absence. An employee may designate an agent to inspect their personnel file on his/her behalf. The employee must provide the Human Resources Development Office with a signed authorization so designating a specific individual who shall be authorized to inspect the employee's file. The signed authorization shall indicate the particular parts of the employee's file that the designated agent is authorized to inspect. In order to maintain the integrity of employee records, an authorized agent may only have access to an employee's file in the presence of a Human Resources Development representative in the Human Resources Development Office.

Employees who wish to review their own file and/or request contents of such should contact the Human Resources Development Office with written advance notice of at least 48 hours. The employee will be allowed to review the information contained in their own Personnel file in the presence of an authorized Human Resources representative. The employee may take notes on the file contents or request, in writing, those documents he/she wishes to have copied.

Wilkes University reserves the right to keep certain information confidential. It also recognizes that an employee, as a party to a lawsuit against Wilkes University, has the right to subpoena their personnel file.

Policy No.  202  Effective Date:  2/1/2004  Revision Date:  11/11/2005