Purpose: The purpose of this chapter is to provide guidance to local offices with respect to the unofficial personnel file in the local office and to ensure appropriate measures are taken to protect personal identifiable information.

The official personnel file is maintained by NDE HR; however, there are some documents Nebraska VR is required/should keep at the local office in an unofficial personnel file either as a hard copy or scanned/saved as a file on the desktop.  Only documents that NDE HR requests Nebraska VR to maintain in the local office are required to be kept. (See Process for examples) Any other documents/forms that originated/created from NDE HR for staff signatures will be maintained in the official personnel file with NDE HR.

All hard copy files of the unofficial personnel file in the local office are to be secured in a locked file cabinet with access being limited to the supervisor and/or designee.

An employee has the right to view both their official and unofficial personnel file. 

The following information should not be retained in the local office personnel file:

• Social Security Number of employee or the employee’s family members
• Date of birth of the employee or the employee’s family members
• Account and routing numbers for checking and savings accounts of the employee or the employee’s family members

The local office personnel file should be shredded within 30 days following an employee’s retirement, resignation, or termination.

The unofficial personnel file with the local office could contain: 

• Confidentiality Agreement
• Code of Conduct 
• Workplace Adjustment Memo
• Nebraska VR Training Request
• Interactive Accommodation Process
• Accommodation Memo
• Volunteer/Unpaid Intern
• Nebraska VR Office Orientation Training Plan
• New Staff Training Personnel Information Curriculum
• 90 Day Training Schedule
• Training Plan
• Compliance/Case Review Instruments
• Assistive Technology Partnership Ergonomic Report
• Documents NDE HR requires the supervisor to maintain a copy or "cc" on a letter/memo
• NDE Telecommuting Form Schedule
• Relevant correspondence between the supervisor and employee that NDE does not require a copy

Information in the official personnel file with NDE HR:

• Official new hire paperwork
• I-9
• W-4
• Direct Deposit
• Application
• Job description
• Offer letter
• New hire checklists
• Medical documentation
• Releases to return to work or doctor(s) notes
• FMLA paperwork
• Reclassification documentation
• Horizontal Wage Progression and Merit Stipend documentation
• Disciplinary and Corrective Action documentation
• Performance Improvement Plans
• Performance Reviews