​​​​​​​5.10.3 Employee Personnel Files​​

All locations are required to maintain accurate, complete personnel files for all paid staff members. Individual supervisors may maintain an unofficial working file to manage employees on a day-to-day basis.  For example, the unofficial file may contain a record of attendance, informal notes of positive and negative performance, and similar observations. Once the information in the unofficial file has been incorporated into the employee's official personnel file in the form of a counseling notice, performance review, commendation, or other formal document, the related contents of the unofficial file should be destroyed.​

Form I-9: Employment Eligibility Verification

Individual I-9 forms and supporting documents must be kept in a separate binder. For details, see Emp​loyment Eligib​ility Verification Form.​

Contents of Official Personnel Files

​​The official employee personnel file must include:

• Personnel file checklist, updated annually

• Acknowledgment sheets (handbook, location-specific and archdiocese policies)

• Benefit enrollment forms (health insurance, dental, short- and long-term disability) 

• Child abuse report form (annually), if applicable

• Criminal record summary compliance, if applicable

• Emergency Information Sheet

• Employment agreement, if applicable

• Electronic communications policy form

• Position History​ form

• Offer letters (sample)

• Employment Application​​

• Evaluation forms

• Exit interview​, if applicable

• Formal professional growth records

• Job description

• Leave of absence requests for non-medical reasons

• Letters of commendation or complaint

• Licenses, as applicable​

• Livescan request form

• Notice of re​signation​, if applicable

• Official transcripts and copies of degrees and credentials, if applicable 

• Policy for professional relationships with students form with signature, if applicable

• Promotion, demotion, and transfer records

• Results of skills tests, if applicable

• Resume

• Verification of previous employment​​​

• VIRTUS® training certificate

• Form W-4​ and California Form DE-4 (Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate)

• California Wage Theft Protection ​Act​: Notice to Employee (​Non-Exempt/Classified Only)​​​

• State disability/unemployment exemption: Notice to Employees​​

• Workers' Compensation Predesignation of Personal Physician​

• Any other information that directly pertains to the employee and his or her work relationship
  

Teacher Personnel Files

The teacher personnel files contain but are not limited to the following additional information:

• Official transcripts (sealed or mailed directly to the school by the college/university) and copies (verified from the original by the principal) of degrees and credentials (degrees granted by a foreign university/college must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency by an official agency)

• Character references

• Professional references

• Formal professional growth​ records, including religion in-service records

• Teacher and Faculty Employment Agreements​

• Teacher evaluation forms

• Classroom observation forms​​

• Catholic identity and professional conduct review forms

• Other evaluation forms/documents

See Teacher's Personnel File Checklist.

Elementary School Principal Personnel Files

The elementary school principal personnel file contains the information listed above and should be kept in the main parish office or in the rectory, as applicable to the location. The Depa​rtment of Catholic Schools ​also maintains a personnel file for each principal that contains copies of employment agreements, the application, the resume, copies of transcripts and credentials, etc.

See the Principal's Personnel File Checklist.

High School Principal Personnel Files

See the Principal's Personnel File Checklist.

Clergy and Religious Personnel Files

A personnel file should be maintained for clergy and religious who serve at any location. The file should contain basic employee records for reference, as needed. When the individual leaves the location, the files for clergy should be sent to the vicar for clergy and the files for religious should be sent to the vicar for ​women ​religious​ ​or the individual's religious institute, as applicable.

Classified Employee Personnel Files

See the Classified Employee Personnel File Checklist and Compensatio​n Rates for Classifi​ed (Non-Exempt) Staff.

5-20-21​​​