Human Resources

Employee personnel file

Last updated: February 5, 2026

This page applies to all staff, academic personnel, and faculty.

Overview

The University of Washington maintains personnel files containing employment records required for business and legal purposes. Employees and former employees have the right to:

  • Access their personnel files
  • Submit rebuttal or correction documents for inclusion
  • Authorize another person to access their official personnel file(s)

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What are official personnel files?

Official personnel files document personnel actions affecting UW employees. These records support the efficient and effective management of the University and serve as a basis for employment and post-employment benefits. An employee’s central personnel records may include a separate medical file. If an employee has had a personal or family medical need, this file may contain documentation related to workplace injuries, sick leave, or family and medical leave, as well as information provided for disability accommodation purposes.

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Academy and UW Medicine staff files

“Central personnel files” are maintained by UW Human Resources for academy staff, and all UW Medicine staff.

“Department personnel files” are maintained by the employing department.

Personnel files are maintained in either a central personnel file or a department personnel file in accordance with the lists below. Departments may optionally maintain a copy of a record that is designated for the central personnel file; however, the original record must be maintained in the central personnel file.

To add an Academy employee record to a central personnel file, including those employees working under the School of Medicine, departments must forward the records designated for the Central Personnel File to uwhr-records@uw.edu.

Note: Asterisks indicate records that are transacted and maintained in Workday and are available to the employee or former employee with a UW NetID (See section on Employee Self-Service).

Records maintained in the Central Personnel File
  • Hire confirmation or offer letter, acceptance letter
  • Employment agreements and contracts
  • Military leave of absence
  • Formal corrective action documentation
  • Layoff, furlough, and FTE change letters
  • State unemployment office communications
  • Letters of resignation or termination
  • Background checks run by central HR
  • Payroll records*
  • Compensation changes*
  • Job application records*
  • Education verification (UWMC only)
  • Shared leave donation forms (UWMC only)
Records maintained in the Department Personnel File
  • Hire or offer letter, acceptance letter
  • Job description
  • Onboarding checklist
  • Employment agreements and contracts
  • Training certificates or confirmations
  • Telework agreements
  • Confidentiality agreements
  • Performance evaluations
  • Layoff, furlough, and FTE change letters
  • Letters of resignation or termination
  • Job Share Plan and Agreement form
  • Contingent overtime agreement
  • Outside work requests
  • Formal corrective action documentation
  • Compensation changes requests and notification letters to employees (e.g. merit, annual step increase, retention/relocation incentive, PSPD, TPI)
  • Non-medical absence requests and supporting documentation (jury duty, military duty, professional leave with pay, etc.)
  • Award letters (e.g. discretionary leave, commendations)
  • Shared leave donation forms (UWMC only)

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Academic personnel and faculty records

The following records are typically maintained in central personnel files for academic personnel and faculty. This list is not all-inclusive:

  • Hiring packet (e.g. CV, degree verification, sexual misconduct disclosure)
  • Offer, appointment, reappointment, and extension letters
  • Promotion and tenure letters
  • State unemployment office communications
  • Non-medical leave records
  • Disciplinary letters
  • Letters of resignation or termination
  • Voluntary retirement incentive (VRI) option agreement
  • Payroll records*

If present in your central personnel file, these records will be redacted or withheld:

  • Recommendation letters, whether submitted as part of the hiring packet or solicited in the promotion and tenure process.
  • Names or other identifying information of recommenders that reveal identity (e.g., “As chair of…”) within documents.

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Employee self-service records

The following records are available in Workday and accessible using your UW NetID.

Current employees
Former employees

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Current employee requests

Current employees may request access to their personnel records by submitting a Employee Personnel File Request. Requests may include:

  • Access to their central personnel file
  • Access to their current or most recent department file
  • Access to their medical file
  • Authorization for a third party to receive a copy of your records
  • Adding a rebuttal or correction to your central personnel records
  • Petition for the removal of corrective action documentation that is more than six (6) years old
Personnel record delivery options
  • UW email address
  • Secure OneDrive or SharePoint link (required for electronic delivery of medical records)
  • In-person pickup by appointment at your central UW Human Resources office
Printed copies

If you would like a physical copy of your requested records, UWHR provides employees with one free printed copy of their central personnel file. After this initial copy, only newly added documents will be printed upon request. Requests can be made no more than once every six months.

Processing your request

Staff requests for personnel records are typically fulfilled within 10 business days. Academic personnel and faculty requests for department records may take longer to process.

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Former employee requests

If you were separated within the past three years

Former employees may use the same request form as current employees. However, former employees must present valid photo identification before receiving records, either in person or via Zoom.

For electronic delivery of personnel records, an exception can be made if both of the following conditions are met:

  • The former employee submits their request via a still-active UW email address, or the same personal email address listed in your Workday profile at the time of separation, and
  • The former employee agrees to receive records through that verified email address.
If you have been separated for more than three years

Please submit a public records request through the Office of Public Records and Open Meetings.

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Forms

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