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Employee Files

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You're responsible for maintaining files for each employee in your department. This involves maintaining existing employee files, creating employee files for new hires, and retaining all former employees' files for five years from the date of separation.

What to Include in Employee Files

Employee files include only items that are job related. After-hours behavior, criminal background records, personal finances, family background, club memberships, religious affiliations, union memberships, and political beliefs should never be kept in employee files. Items about employees' medical history need to be kept separately from the employee files—keep medical information in medical files with access limited to a need-to-know basis.

File Retention

You must retain departmental employee files and departmental medical files for five years from the date of an employee’s separation from the department. Once the retention period has been met, the departmental employee files and medical files can be disposed using the proper procedure. For further information, see the Records Management Services Web site, or contact the Office of Accounting at 512-232-5647.

Requests to View Employee Records

If your department receives a request for employee records, you should immediately forward it to the Office of the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for handling.

Employee File Contents

The following table outlines what paper documents belong in employee files, and which documents should be kept in the HRS employee file, the departmental employee file, or both.

Document Where to keep the Original Where to keep the Copy
Online employment application   Department Employee File

Student/Non-Benefits Eligible Employment application

Department Employee File

 
Resume and related documents such as examples of work, letters of recommendation, etc. Department Employee File  
New employee documents such as offer of employment letter, acceptance letter, etc. Department Employee File  
Supporting documents related to appointments, promotions, reclassifications, etc. Department Employee File  
Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) HRS Employee File Department Employee File
Employee Eligibility supporting document photocopies   HRS and Department Employee Files
Ethics Statement Receipt (if paper) HRS Employee File Department Employee File
Selective Service Eligibility and Verification Form HRS Employee File Department Employee File
Background Check Request Form HRS Employee File Department Employee File
Employee Compliance Guide Acknowledgement Form Department Employee File  
Transfer of leave/state service from other Texas state agency or university HRS Employee File  
Position/job description and performance expectations Department Employee File  
Insurance claim information HRS Medical File  
Insurance enrollment information HRS Employee File  
Retirement programs enrollment information HRS Employee File  
Outside Employment Form Department Employee File  
Disciplinary or corrective actions, including records of performance counseling Department Employee File  
Letters of complaint and letters of compliment Department Employee File  
Performance evaluations Department Employee File  
Training records Department Employee File  
Health/medical documents (includes Sick Leave Pool application, Disability Claim Forms, Reasonable Accommodation documents, FMLA documents, WCI documents, etc.) HRS Medical File  
Grievances and responses Department Employee File  
Time cards and timesheets Department Employee File  
Leave requests Department Employee File  
Doctor's notes to support absences due to health/medical situations Department Medical File  
Resignation or termination letter Department Employee File  
Separation form (UC1) HRS Employee File Department Employee File