{"id":4710,"date":"2019-02-25T16:12:10","date_gmt":"2019-02-26T00:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/policyusc.wpengine.com\/?p=4710"},"modified":"2026-03-11T11:11:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T18:11:32","slug":"employee-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/policy.usc.edu\/employee-records\/","title":{"rendered":"Employee Records"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

1. Policy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Issued: February 25, 2019 
Last Revised: June 12, 2023 
Last Reviewed: June 12, 2023 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applies to: <\/em><\/strong>All faculty, staff, and student workers employed by University of Southern California and its subsidiaries including Keck Medicine of USC (\u201cUSC employees\u201d). This policy continues to apply to individuals on sabbatical, other leaves or while visiting other institutions.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Policy Purpose<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The University maintains a personnel file for each employee to ensure a complete, accurate and current record of documents related to the job, salary, and employment status of an employee. The University maintains other employment-related records separate from the employee personnel file in accordance with the law, including payroll records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The University has custody over the employee\u2019s personnel file, payroll records, and other employment-related documents. Confidentiality is strictly maintained in keeping with University policy and the law. The practice of the University is not to release this information except as permitted by law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Scope and Application <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This policy applies to all employees. Any current and former employee (or a representative) has the right to inspect and receive a copy of the personnel files and records that relate to the employee\u2019s performance or to any grievance concerning the employee. A request for employee records by a former employee is limited to only one request per year. If a representative is requesting an employee\u2019s records, the representative must provide written verification of the employee\u2019s or former employee\u2019s authorization to obtain such records.  To preserve privacy, USC may make redactions, including redacting the name of other employees identified in the records and redacting the last four digits of Social Security Numbers, prior to making the requested records available for inspection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the event of a discrepancy between this policy and a collective bargaining agreement, the terms of the collective bargaining agreement will govern. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Definitions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Term<\/strong> <\/td>Definition<\/strong> <\/td><\/tr>
Personnel Files<\/strong> <\/td>Generally, the application for employment, general employment history, and records which are used or have been used to determine an employee\u2019s qualifications for promotion, compensation, termination, or disciplinary action. <\/td><\/tr>
Payroll Records<\/strong> <\/td>Records that pertain to the payment of an employee\u2019s wages.  They may include tax withholding forms, time and attendance records, benefits and deductions, and other payroll records (pay rate, overtime earnings, bonus pay, pay stubs, raise documentation, payroll hi4. story, etc.). <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

5. Policy Details<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Responsibility for Maintaining Personnel Files<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The official personnel file for an employee is maintained by the employee\u2019s Human Resources department. The department\u2019s human resources partner or their designee (custodian of records) is responsible for monitoring and maintaining the contents of the personnel files. All employee personnel records must be electronically maintained in Workday or an officially approved electronic system. Managers are not allowed to maintain shadow or duplicate personnel files or \u201cdesk files\u201d on employees. <\/strong>Faculty academic career records are maintained and stored in officially approved electronic systems as determined by the Provost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Official Personnel File Contents<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personnel files must contain only that information which is directly related to the employee\u2019s job duties, salary, performance, and general employment history. Information and documents that may be included in a personnel file: <\/p>\n\n\n\n