Personnel Record

Change in Personal Status

It is your responsibility to notify the Human Resources Department and your department head of changes in status in order to keep records current and accurate at all times. This information is necessary to ensure correct coverage (and, if appropriate, deductions) for taxes, medical insurance, life insurance, etc. Incorrect or outdated information may seriously affect many employee benefits or the ability of the College to contact appropriate persons in case of emergency. Following is a list of some of the more important changes in personal status which should be reported promptly:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone Number
• Marital Status
• Number of Dependents
• Beneficiary Designations for such benefits plans as the retirement plan, life insurance, etc.
• Person to contact in case of emergency

Access to your Personnel Records

Effective February 2, 1987, the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts were amended to give employees greater access to their personnel records. Provisions of the law are as follows:
"Section 52C. As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:

'Employee,' a person currently employed or formerly employed by an employer.
'Employer,' an individual, corporation, partnership, labor organization, unincorporated association or any other legal business, public or private, or commercial entity including agents of the employer.
'Personnel record,' a record kept by an employer that identifies an employee, to the extent that the record is used or has been used, or may affect or be used relative to that employee's qualifications for employment, promotion, transfer, additional compensation, or disciplinary action. A personnel record shall include a record in the possession of a person, corporation, partnership or other association that has a contractual agreement with the employer to keep or supply a personnel record as provided in this section. A personnel record shall not include information of a personal nature about a person other than the employee if disclosure of the information would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of such other person's privacy.

Any employer receiving a written request from an employee shall provide the employee with an opportunity to review his/her personnel record. The review shall take place at the employment office and during normal business hours. An employee may obtain a copy of his/her personnel record upon submission of a written request to his/her employer.  The employee will be responsible to pay reasonable copying costs.  If there is a disagreement with any information contained in a personnel record, removal or correction of such information may be mutually agreed upon by the employer and the employee. If an agreement is not reached, the employee may submit a written statement explaining the employee's position which shall thereupon be contained therein and shall become part of such employee's personnel record. The statement shall be included when said information is retained as part of the file. If an employer places in a personnel record any information which such employer knew or should have known to be false, then the employee shall have remedy through the collective bargaining agreement, other personnel procedures or judicial process to have such information expunged."

If you wish to review your personnel records, you should make a written request to the Human Resources Department. Arrangements will be made within three (3) business days to comply with your request.