Managing Personnel Records - International Records Management ...

WORKING PERSONAL FILES
Working personal files contain reference information needed, such as copies of legal
documents or records such as forward job plans, papers relating to minor disciplinary
matters or applications for leave. Rules for working files should aim to ensure that
they do not contain original documents with long-term value. In many systems the
working files are transferred with the employee when he or she is posted to a new
ministry. Often the master file will be held at a central location.
Working files should not contain original documents with
long-term value.
Working files should be held for local reference for as long as they are required.
They should contain only information needed to support a particular personnel
function. They do not contribute to an ongoing legal record. Therefore, as long as the
master file is properly maintained, the working files may be destroyed when a staff
member has been transferred from a ministry or department, has been retrenched or
dismissed or has retired.
These files may also be destroyed when an appropriate period has lapsed after the
completion of an activity, such as a training programme, a disciplinary hearing or an
appraisal exercise. For instance, performance assessment records are normally only
kept for about five years, although essential data such as the marks for overall
performance or suitability for promotion and potential can be extracted and held on a
record card or in a database. Appraisal records can be held in a separate series of
working files with forward job plans, which can be scheduled for destruction.
The following types of records may be found on the working personal files of
permanent staff:
? copy of appointment/posting letter
? acceptance letter/last pay certificate
? copy of confirmation in appointment
? recommendations for promotion
? copies promotion/posting letters
? details of acting appointments
? details of government loans
? details of retired imprests (ie money advanced to an individual for use on State
business – when the business is completed the official has to ‘retire’ or account for
the money)
? correspondence relating to clearance to travel
? documents relating to training or study leave
MANAGING PERSONNEL RECORDS
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