(A) An employee's official personnel file is maintained by the department bookkeeper who has been entrusted with maintaining those files with strict confidentiality. Notes, letters, the employee's official evaluations and other matters that require documentation shall be provided to the bookkeeper for placement in the file. To assure that personnel files are maintained in accordance with state and federal regulation, it will be the decision of the department head as to whether a document is eligible for inclusion in a personnel file.
(B) The County will take every possible step to safeguard the confidentiality of an employee's personnel file. It is available for review/access by others only under the following circumstances:
(1) Ordered by a court;
(2) Requested by a department head or supervisor for review for a transfer, promotion, disciplinary or other personnel action;
(3) Required by state or federal law;
(4) Needed to be reviewed to answer a complaint of discrimination filed by the employee with the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, the E.E.O.C. or for compliance with any state or federal regulatory agency.
(5) The following information can be released to the general public including the news media as required by Indiana statute (IC 5-14-3-4):
(a) The name, compensation, job title, business address, business telephone number, job description, education and training background, previous work experience or date of first and last employment of present or former employment;
(b) Information relating to the status of any formal charges against the employee; and
(c) Information concerning disciplinary actions in which final action has been taken and that resulted in the employee being disciplined or discharged.
(C) As required by federal and state law, medical records, worker compensation files, sexual harassment complaints and requests for Family and Medical Leave, shall not be co-mingled with the employee's regular personnel file. Instead a separate file will be maintained for those issues.
(D) Employees may periodically review their personnel file during regular business hours. The employee may be asked to sign a log recording when the file was accessed. Employees should alert the department's bookkeeper to perceived discrepancies and work to resolve the matter. Should those efforts fail, the employee may file a grievance to correct any alleged discrepancies.