10 Easy Steps to Creating an Office Records Policy

1.  Make sure your policy complies with all applicable laws.

2.  Put your policy in writing and distribute it to employees.

3.  Define what you will include in a personnel file.

4.  Indicate who has access to personnel files, including outside parties such as creditors or prospective employers.

5.  Don’t maintain information in personnel files that could be viewed as discriminatory or an invasion of privacy.

6.  Indicate under what circumstances, if any, workers may review or copy their files.

7.  Give workers a chance to rebut information in their files.

8.  Audit records periodically to remove outdated or inaccurate information.

9.  Appoint a records custodian who can control access to files and require workers to sign consent forms to release information.

10. Review your policy regularly to make sure it reflects any changes in employee rights legislation.

Advice courtesy of William Schneider, HR professional and member of the Society of Human Resource Management, Chicago, Ill.

TIP: Watch your language when creating an office manual. Don't forget a disclaimer, such as: "Nothing in this manual is intended to modify or change the employment-at-will status of our employees and no contractual rights are created herein." —Adapted from “Don’t Let Documentation Hassles Get You All Tangled Up,” Susan G. Morrison, Texas REALTOR^®, August 1995

TIP: You may want to create two office manuals—one for employees and one for independent contractors—since the relevant issues are somewhat different. A separate manual for independent contractors also may help you from inadvertently creating a situation where an independent contractor is considered an employee under state or federal law.

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