SUBJECT: EMPLOYEE INFORMATION AND PERSONAL DATA

APPLICABILITY: ALL FACULTY AND STAFF

1. Purpose:

To define responsibility for and access to centralized University personnel records in accordance with Texas Public Information Act requirements.

2. Policy:

The University of North Texas Human Resources Department is responsible for the development and maintenance of centralized electronic and paper personnel record files for regular faculty and staff members. Specific employee information and personal data will be maintained as required by federal and state laws and regulations, and for various internal and external reports.

3. Collection and Update of Information:

Employee information and personal data is originally collected from each individual at the time of employment, and shall be periodically verified or updated as necessary or as required by Human Resources. The employee is responsible for promptly notifying the Human Resources Department of any change in personal data as follows:

a. Legal name, if changed by marriage or otherwise

b. Mailing address and/or residence address

c. Telephone number

d. Marital status

e. Number of dependents, for income tax and/or group insurance purposes

f. Insurance beneficiary

4. Electronic Personnel Information Access:

Computerized records regarding an employee may be accessed by the following methods:

1. The employee may be granted access through the MyUNT portal for his/her own personal individual employee data, with security based on the individual’s Employee ID and EUID/password. Access is maintained through policy and procedures established by the Human Resources department.
2. Access to select individual employee data for administrative users, with security established based on functional requirements for administrative units, department heads and designated departmental administrators, departmental timekeepers and approvers. Access is established by the Human Resources Department’s security administrator based on specific written request under the signature of the employing department head, and is maintained based on the individual user’s EUID/password. All employee data access changes or deletions shall be reported to Human Resources promptly by the department head who is responsible for ensuring continued security of access to University or departmental data.

5. Reference Checks and Employment Verifications:

All verbal or written inquiries concerning information contained in a current or former employee’s personnel file (i.e., dates of employment, reasons for termination, salary, position(s) held, etc.) should be referred to the Human Resources Department. The Human Resources Department is solely authorized to officially disclose this type of information. University employees may provide references/recommendations for current or former employees in accordance with state law and University Policy No. 1.3.3.A.

6. Disclosure of Employee Information and Personal Data:

Information that is not accepted from public disclosure by the Texas Public Information Act (the “Act”) may be released. Each employee is responsible for timely informing the Human Resources Department, in writing, if he or she wishes to prohibit the disclosure of personal information made confidential by the Act.

Generally, personnel records are considered public under the Act, except information that is deemed confidential according to specific statutes, common-law or constitutional privacy law. Social security numbers may not be disclosed.

6.1 Public Information:

a) The following employee information and personal data will be made available to any person upon oral or written request . 1

1. Employee name
2. Sex
3. Ethnicity (i.e., White, Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, or Pacific Islander, or Hispanic)
4. Salary
5. Title
6. Dates of employment
7. Home and mailing addresses and home phone numbers or information that reveals whether the employee has family members, except when an employee has indicated in writing that he does not wish this information to be disclosed. 2

b) Reasons for leaving UNT employment will be made available to any person upon written request only.

c) The requester must pay any unusual expense incurred in providing the employee information and personal data (see Section 6.3 below).

6.2 Employee’s Right to Personal Data:

Present or former employees have the right to review, in the presence of a Human Resources Department staff member, all information concerning their employment contained in their personnel file. 3 This includes information pertaining to and/or bearing upon:

1. Qualifications for employment, i.e., letters of recommendation, applications, etc.
2. Employment and its terms, i.e., evaluations of performance, counseling memos, payroll authorizations, etc.
3. Separation from employment, i.e., documents relating to termination of employment, counseling memos, termination statements, etc.

The employee shall be allowed to make copies of the documents, take notes, or add rebuttal statements or information he/she thinks should be on file.

Present or former employees may not review information that would invade the privacy of a third party. 4

6.3 Other Requests:

The information listed in paragraphs 6.1 and 6.2 are clearly defined as releasable under the Texas Public Information Act. Requests for other information must be made in writing. The Office of the Vice Chancellor and General Counsel will determine whether the information will be given to the requestor. When responding to a request for information, the Human Resources Department will follow the university's Public Information Act Policy Number 10.6, Administrative and Fiscal Policies, Volume II, University Policy Manual.