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Personnel records

A personnel file provides a record of the key correspondence, events and developments in the course of an individual’s employment. Employers use personnel records to keep track of the employment relationship.

The Data Protection Act 1998 requires that employers follow various data protection principles when handling personal data, which includes information contained in personnel files. For example, personal data should be kept no longer than necessary, meaning that employers can eliminate personal information that is no longer relevant once the employment relationship has ended.


    • Sexual harassment
    • Gender
    • Latest News

    Sullivan Review shows how ‘sex’ has been purged from data

    by Rob Moss 20 Mar 2025
    by Rob Moss 20 Mar 2025

    Sullivan Review shows how biological sex has been erased from official data and that the meaning of sex is ‘no longer stable’.

    • Case law
    • Employment law
    • Latest News

    Officer fairly dismissed for not disclosing previous sacking – EAT

    by Rob Moss 11 Feb 2025
    by Rob Moss 11 Feb 2025

    Border Force officer who failed to declare he was previously fired by his employer was fairly dismissed, rules EAT.

    • Rest periods
    • Brexit
    • Employment law

    Business secretary denies plans to rip-up workers’ rights

    by Ashleigh Webber 15 Jan 2021
    by Ashleigh Webber 15 Jan 2021

    Kwasi Kwarteng has denied reports that government wants to scrap the 48-hour limit, regulations on rest periods and other elements of the EU Working Time Directive

    • Artificial intelligence
    • Automation
    • HR transformation

    Digitising HR records: the first steps towards intelligent automation (webinar)

    by Personnel Today 7 Aug 2019
    by Personnel Today 7 Aug 2019

    ON-DEMAND | Find out how West Midlands Ambulance Service digitised its HR records as the first step in a journey towards intelligent automation...

    • Artificial intelligence
    • Absence
    • Automation

    How digital trends are changing the role of HR (webinar)

    by Personnel Today 19 Sep 2018
    by Personnel Today 19 Sep 2018

    ON DEMAND | Not a day goes by without a news story highlighting the impact of digital technology on people’s jobs, but how...

    • General Data Protection Regulation
    • Discipline
    • Latest News

    Top 10 HR questions May 2018: GDPR special category data

    by Brightmine 1 Jun 2018
    by Brightmine 1 Jun 2018

    Many HR professionals will have spent months preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Now it is finally in...

    • General Data Protection Regulation
    • Data protection
    • Maternity

    Top 10 HR questions February 2018: Consent to process personal data

    by Brightmine 2 Mar 2018
    by Brightmine 2 Mar 2018

    One of the key messages employers are hearing on the new data protection rules under the General Data Protection Regulation...

    • Europe
    • Immigration
    • Global HR

    Employers “sleepwalking” on right-to-work compliance for overseas workers

    by Jo Faragher 28 Sep 2017
    by Jo Faragher 28 Sep 2017

    Less than a third of companies are aware of the sanctions for failing to secure right-to-work documentation for overseas workers...

    • Employment law
    • Data protection
    • Personnel records

    Subject access requests: recent cases raise questions on how employers must comply

    by Charles Wynn-Evans 20 Mar 2017
    by Charles Wynn-Evans 20 Mar 2017

    Charles Wynn-Evans of Dechert LLP reports on some recent decisions on subject access requests, which will give employers food for...

    • Benefits
    • Brexit
    • Apprenticeships

    Employment law changes 2017: eight priorities for HR

    by Qian Mou 7 Dec 2016
    by Qian Mou 7 Dec 2016

    Significant employment law changes are anticipated for 2017, amid the ongoing uncertainty resulting from the Brexit referendum.
    Large compliance projects...

    • Shared parental leave
    • Health and safety
    • Flexible working

    Top 10 HR questions in July 2014: Shared parental leave and flexible working

    by Personnel Today 4 Aug 2014
    by Personnel Today 4 Aug 2014

    Employers were getting to grips with various changes to family-friendly workplace rights last month.

    • Tribunal Watch
    • Police
    • Race discrimination

    Tribunal watch: Met Police covered up officer’s race and sex discrimination allegations

    by Stephen Simpson 7 Jul 2014
    by Stephen Simpson 7 Jul 2014

    Stephen Simpson rounds up last week's tribunal cases to make the headlines...

    • Employment law
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health

    Confidentiality and record-keeping in occupational health

    by Personnel Today 1 Nov 2012
    by Personnel Today 1 Nov 2012

    Occupational health practitioners must make themselves aware of specific legislation that covers employee rights when dealing with patient data. Jonathan...

    • Constructive dismissal
    • Employment law
    • Employment tribunals

    Blacklisted protestor continues power station demo as energy firm fails to win injunction

    by John Charlton 2 Nov 2009
    by John Charlton 2 Nov 2009

    Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) is considering applying to the county court for an injunction to stop an unemployed electrician...

    • Employment law
    • Data protection
    • Latest News

    Construction blacklister to be sentenced at crown court

    by Helen Gilbert 28 May 2009
    by Helen Gilbert 28 May 2009

    Construction union Ucatt has welcomed the decision to send a blacklister to crown court for sentencing, where he could face...

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Personnel Today
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