Employment Personnel Files

I. Policy Title: Personnel Files

II. Who Does This Policy Affect?

All HFC Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and students.

III. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to maintain orderly operation of Henry Ford College by maintaining a personnel information system for the retention of appropriate documentation regarding an employee’s duties and responsibilities to the College and the College’s responsibilities to the employee.

IV. Policy Statement

The Board of Trustees requires that sufficient records exist to ensure an employee’s qualifications for the job held, compliance with federal, state, and local benefit programs, conformance with College rules, and evidence of completed evaluations. Such records will be kept in compliance with laws of the State of Michigan.

The President delegates the maintenance of the employee personnel information system to the Executive Director of Human Resources, or their designee.

A single central personnel file shall be maintained, and subsidiary records shall be maintained for ease in data gathering only. These records shall be maintained or destroyed consistent with the federal and state laws, and College record retention policies.
In accordance with the Bullard-Plawecki Right to Know Act, MCL 423.501, et seq., employees may request, with reasonable notice, and shall be provided (1) the opportunity to review their personnel records, (2) the right to be supplied with copies of their records, (3) the right to respond to statements in their personnel record, and (4) the right to notice in certain circumstances where third parties seek a copy of their personnel record. The employee may elect to be accompanied by a third party at the time of record examination.

Personnel records shall not be available to Board members except as necessary to conduct disciplinary hearings or upon a Board trustee request, with Board Chair approval, to review confidentially an employee’s personnel file for the purpose of understanding a specific complaint. The Board trustee reviewing such confidential employee records will not disclose any of the information gathered as a result of their review to anyone else, other than the Board Chair. Personnel records shall be made available to College administrators as required in the performance of their job.

Personnel wishing to review their own records shall:

a. request access in writing;
b. review the record in the presence of the administrator designated to maintain said records or designee;
c. make no alterations or additions to the record nor remove any material therefrom; and
d. respond to any statements in the record.

A copying cost may be charged for each copy given to the employee upon his/her written request at the rate determined by the President.

When the College receives a court order or other request for an employee's personnel records, the College shall notify the employee with a copy of the request prior to producing the records.

V. Definitions

N/A

VI. Responsible Party for Policy Interpretation/Review

a. President
b. VP of Human Resources

VII. Related Documents

Bullard-Plawecki Right to Know Act, MCL 423.501, et seq.,

VIII. Policy History

a. Adopted by Board: February 20, 1995
b. Previous Policy Section: Operations; Previous Policy No. 3000

Reviewed/Updated

October 17, 2022 - approved by Board; updated language to improve on policy

This policy supersedes any and all past policies related to this subject