IARA County/Local Records Management - Personnel Files

Good morning Clerks and staff,

I've had several inquiries from various agencies on the retention and medium/format requirements of personnel files. As we all know, personnel files fall within the County/Local General (GEN) retention schedule under the record series GEN 10-27 which defines them as:

"Personnel records containing documentation of the employee’s working career and application for employment with the county/local government unit. Employment application shall include examination records. Personnel files shall be created and maintained for full-time, part-time, and temporary employees, as well as paid and unpaid interns. May include copies of employee tax documents and benefit elections. Disclosure of these records may be affected by IC 5-14-3-4(b)(2),(3),(4) ,(6), and (8)."

The retention period says, "DESTROY 75 years after employee is no longer employed by the county/local government unit."

Well, 75 years is a looooong time! And many of you are requesting to create electronic records to cut down on the physical office space used to store the paper files.

Review Indiana OCPR Policy 20-01 Electronic Records Retention and Disposition for details on electronic records and specifically look at #4 regarding destruction of digitized physical records:

4) Destruction of digitized physical records: Physical records which have been digitized may be destroyed if
          a) the terms described in Items 1-3 are met.
          b) the imaged records are verifiable authentic duplicates as described in OCPR 20-02.
          c) the terms in the Indiana Archives and Records Administration Electronic Records Guidelines are met.

So yes, you may digitize the personnel files. However, it's worth considering this statement from the GEN retention schedule instructions:

"PERMANENT records created on paper should be preserved on paper or microfilm that meets the standards outlined in 60 IAC 2 / Indiana Rules of Court Administrative Rule 6. 4)" 

Since your personnel records are not permanent, just very long-term, this rule does not technically apply to them, but IARA strongly suggests that the records be microfilmed, in addition to any digital copies created. 

Once your Copy of Record has been created, in whichever media and formats you choose as long as they meet IARA quality standards, you may destroy the duplicate paper copy. Note: If the duplicate contains confidential information, you will need to destroy the record in a confidential manner. 

I hope this is helpful information on personnel files. Wishing you a happy December!

AMY CHRISTIANSEN JANICKI

Records Management Liaison

Indiana Archives and Records Administration

o: 812-929-3882

e: achristiansenjanicki@iara.in.gov |

w: www.in.gov/iara

a: 402 W Washington St, Room W472, Indianapolis, IN 46204

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