Employee Records Access Policy

INTRODUCTION

1. Personnel records are maintained for all University employees, and held centrally in the Department of Human Resources. Personal information obtained by the University and held in an employee's personnel record is held in confidence.

2. It is the policy of University College Cork to allow employees of the University individual access to their personnel file, in keeping with The Freedom of Information Act.

3. The Freedom of Information Act 1997 and 2003), is designed to allow the public access to information held by public bodies which is not routinely available through other sources. It is the policy of the University to grant employees access to their personnel files outside of the FOI process.Where access to a record cannot be provided, the staff member will be informed of this and advised of the option of making an application under the Freedom of Information Act 1997. Certain information may be of such a sensitive nature that requests for access will only be dealt with under the Freedom of Information legislation.

DEFINITION OF RELEVANT TERMINOLOGY

4. A Personnel File is an official record containing employment related personal information, held by the Department of Human Resources or the human resources section of an authorised Unit or Centre.

PROCEDURE

5. The employee should complete an Employee Records Access Form and return it to the Human Resources Department either electronically, by fax or via internal post. CONTACT: Department of Human Resources and Organisational Development, Block E, Food Science Building, University College Cork. Tel. 4903603. E-mail: HRQueries@ucc.ie

6. On receipt of the Employee Records Access Form the employee will be contacted by the Department of Human Resources to arrange a convenient time to view their personnel file.

7. The employee will be required to provide photographic evidence of their identification e.g. staff id card

8. A designated representative of the Department of Human Resources will be in attendance at all times while the file is being reviewed

9. Photocopies of any documentation held on the personnel file are available on request 10. If an employee wishes to view other material, which they believe is held by the University, but not contained on the personnel file, the employee should contact the Information Compliance Officer, email: foi@ucc.ie / phone: 021 490 3949