Page 111 - Employee Handbook 1-2015 rev9

past and current, to the extent that the city has the written contract or a record of the oral contract
in its possession; current position title, current salary, date and amount of most recent increase or
decrease in salary and date of most recent promotion, demotion, transfer, suspension, separation,
or other changes in position classification, and the office to which currently assigned. The term
“salary” includes pay, benefits, incentives, bonuses, and all other forms of deferred
compensation paid by the City. This information is available through the Human Resources
Department. Request for personal information should be directed to the Human Resources
Director or the Director’s designee or the City Attorney’s Office.

City departments shall maintain the following personnel information: name, city
employee number, class title and code, payroll data, job description, current attendance records
and a copy of performance appraisals.

All other personnel information, with the exception of records required by the State of
North Carolina Criminal Justice Standards Division pertaining to the official status of sworn law
enforcement officers, shall be maintained in the Human Resources Department.

All information, other than the public records noted above, is confidential and shall be
"open" to inspection in the Human Resources Department only in the following instances:

(1) An employee or his duly authorized agent may inspect the personnel file except
for letters of reference solicited prior to employment and medical disability
information that a prudent physician would not divulge to his/her patient;
(2) A physician designated in writing by the employee may examine the employee's
medical record;
(3) An employee's supervisor may examine the employee's entire personnel file;
(4) A court order may provide anyone access to examine a personnel file in
accordance with the terms of the order;
(5) An official of any agency or federal, state or governmental subdivision may
inspect any portion of a personnel file when such inspection is deemed by the
official having custody of such records to be necessary and essential to the
pursuance of a proper function of the inspecting agency. No information may be
divulged to assist in a criminal prosecution or assisting in investigation of tax
liability;
(6) An employee may sign a written release, to be placed with his/her personnel file,
that permits the person with custody of the file to provide, either in person, by
telephone, or by mail, information specified in the release to prospective
employers, educational institutions or other persons specified in the release;
(7) The City Manager, with the concurrence of the City Council, may inform any
person of the employment or non-employment, promotion, demotion, suspension
or other disciplinary action, reinstatement, transfer or termination of a City
employee and the reasons for that personnel action. Before releasing the
information, the City Manager or City Council shall determine in writing that the
release is essential to maintaining public confidence in the administration of City
services or to maintaining the level and quality of City services. This written
determination shall be retained in the City Manager's Office or the City

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City of Winston-Salem Employee Handbook (January 2015 Revision)