UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH POLICY 07-06-05

CATEGORY:        PERSONNEL
SECTION:         Employee Support
SUBJECT:         Access to Employee Personnel Files
EFFECTIVE DATE:  August 19, 2002 Revised
PAGE(S):         1

I.   SCOPE

     This policy affirms the rights of current University employees to
     review their personnel files maintained in the individual's
     employing unit or in central University files.  It has been
     established in compliance with the Personnel Files Act of 1978.

II.  POLICY

     Employees are entitled to inspect their own personnel files used
     to determine their own qualifications for employment, promotion,
     additional compensation, termination or disciplinary action.

     The following types of documents or copies thereof are accessible
     for review: Appointment and Special Action Forms and Employee
     Record Forms (such as original appointment, transfer, promotion,
     leave of absence, sabbatical leave, reappointment, change in
     salary, change of title); wage or salary information; fringe
     benefit information; on the job accident reports; attendance
     records; letters of commendation, reprimand or other disciplinary
     action; retirement, and grievance forms; performance evaluations,
     and biographical data.

     The following documents are exempt from inspection and are not
     accessible to employees: letters, telephone notes, or memoranda
     of external references secured from persons who are not current
     University employees and who do not receive an honorarium or fee
     for submitting the reference in conjunction with initial
     appointment, reappointment, promotion, or the award of tenure;
     records relating to the investigation of a possible criminal
     offense; documents being developed or prepared for use in civil,
     criminal, or grievance procedures; medical records; and materials
     used by the University to plan for future operations.

     Offices may specify reasonable hours, during regular business
     hours, when employees may review their files.  A representative
     of the office will be present with the individual during the file
     review.

     An employee may make handwritten notes from the file, but not
     remove the file or portion thereof.  A copy of any material in
     the file that initially had been provided to or by the employee,
     but which the individual no longer has in his possession, will be
     provided to the individual upon request within a reasonable
     period of time.

     In the event that an alleged error is found in the personnel
     file, the employee may file a counter-statement.

III. REFERENCE

     Procedure 07-06-05, Access to Employee Personnel Files