Do you know what is in your employee file?

Anne Marie the AntiHR Lady

Apr 5, 20223 min read

Updated: Mar 4, 2024

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is important to consult with legal professionals for guidance on specific legal matters.

Results on engagements and online courses may vary, successful outcome is not guaranteed.

So, do you know what is your employee file? No??

Watch my YouTube video on this subject (Like, Comment & Subscribe) Then Go do these things right now!

1. Go to Human Resources and ask to see your employee file if it is not

accessible electronically.

2. Ask for a copy of your entire employee file for your records. If HR

refuses, ask them to provide an explanation for their refusal in writing.

3. Make sure copies of the following items are in your file:

Letter of Hire
Job Description(s)
Performance Reviews: Every performance review since your date of hire and any response you wrote to any review
Benefits information. Review your health benefits which should be separate from your main employee file
Retirement plan election documents
Change in Status documents. Any documentation relevant to salary increase, promotions, etc.
Acknowledgement of receipt of your Employee Handbook (if they made you sign one).

4. Make sure you have copies of every single one of the items above. If any of the items above are missing, ask HR to provide copies to you.

Check your employee file twice per year. I strongly recommend this. I suggest reviewing your file at the start of the year and then again after performance review are competed. Most HR departments are understaffed and they do not always effectively manage personnel files. All the more reason for you to check your file.

Have a copy of your Employee Handbook. Know what the organization’s Document Retention policies say and ensure that HR is maintaining your personnel records in alignment of those policies. If they are not, raise your concerns, in writing.

Remember: The primary function of Human Resources (HR) is to protect the organization and as a result they generally protect management more than they do the employee. So, make sure you know what is in the file.

Make sure you have command of what is in your employee record. If something is in your file that you were not aware of, ask that HR remove it or ask to write a response that reflects your concerns about the item in your file.

Knowing what is in your employee file is central to effectively managing your career and it is extremely helpful in the event that you need to document a discriminatory Hostile Work Environment. If you are regularly reviewing your employee file, it makes it harder for a rogue manager, to “slip” derogatory items into your file when you raise concerns about their racist or otherwise discriminatory behavior in the workplace.

If you believe you are being subjected to discrimination at work, Grab Access to my Online Course,