Records Management — Employee Information

Overview

Employee information is collected and stored by the Department for a number of purposes. In order to comply with privacy requirements, employees must be advised of the purpose for which the information is required and the bodies or agencies to whom the Department may disclose personal information.

Human resource (HR) information collected by the Department may be stored either electronically or in hard copy form in personnel files.

The Department and its schools collect and maintain employee information in accordance with the following legislation:

• Public Records Act 1973 (Vic)
• Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)
• Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic)
• Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
• Health Records Act 2001 (Vic), and the
• Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 (Vic)

Schools are responsible for the management and disposal of records for school staff. Corporate People Services is responsible for the management and disposal of HR records for public service employees and executive officers.

Related policies

• Access to Health Information — Employees
• Complaints — Information for Employees
• Complaints, Misconduct and Unsatisfactory Performance — Teaching Service (documents relating to a complaint, serious misconduct or an unsatisfactory performance)
• Freedom of Information
• Records Management — School Records

Relevant legislation

• Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)
• Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic)
• Health Records Act 2001 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
• Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic)
• Public Records Act 1973 (Vic)
• Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 (Vic)

Contact information

• Contact HR

Policy and Guidelines

Electronic records

Information collected by the Department may be stored electronically on the Department’s central payroll system and other Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS). The information stored on the Department’s systems will be used for a range of functions including:

• the generation of fortnightly pay slips
• the recording and processing of leave requests (eduPay)
• the processing and management of Workers' Compensation claims
• the reporting of workplace incidents (eduSafe Plus)

Personnel files

A personnel file is created for a new employee who has not previously been employed in a Victorian state school or other Department location. Where a person is rehired, their personnel file must be retrieved from the previous Department work location or school.

Various human resources (HR) information is collected and maintained on an employee’s personnel file including but not limited to:

• evidence of date of birth and qualifications
• pre-employment and appointment documentation
• evidence of registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching for teaching positions
• evidence of a Working With Children Check for non-teaching positions
• health or medical documentation
• documentation relating to probation or salary progression
• performance management related documentation
• leave applications
• authorisations for the payment of allowances or salary changes
• documentation relating to complaints, unsatisfactory performance or misconduct proceedings
• cessation documentation

The exceptions to placing records on a personnel file are:

• documents relating to the selection process,
• taxation forms (Tax File Number Declarations and Withholding Declarations) which are not put in personnel files, but stored separately in a secure location,
• documentation relating to an employee's workers' compensation claim(s). A separate file is created in the school for any such records (note: where a school based employee transfers to another location, the file must stay in the location where the injury occurred)

Personnel files are stored securely when the file is not in use and handled in a secure manner and with absolute confidentiality. Files should be kept in an environment where they are protected from hazards such as water, excessive light and heat, vermin and insects.

Accessing HR information

A current employee may request access to their personnel file. The Department may refuse to provide the employee with their personnel file where it is permitted to do so under relevant State or Commonwealth legislation.

A request by a current employee for access to their personnel file is to be made to their principal (school employees) or Manager, People Services (public service employees). The principal or Manager, People Services, must then determine whether the file is able to be released, having regard to the relevant privacy laws.

An external organisation may request access to an employee's human resource records, including the employee’s personnel file, for defined reasons including for auditing purposes, by a lawyer or court in compliance with a Court Order or Subpoena, by a police officer conducting an investigation, or where there is some other legal requirement, for example, by the Child Support Agency.

Where access to any information is denied, the principal or Manager, People Services must advise the current employee or external organisation of their right to seek access under Freedom of Information provisions.

Resources

Procedures and forms

• Records Management Administration Procedures (Word)
• Personnel File Documentation Checklist (Word)