SECTION 14.25 CONFIDENTIALITY OF EMPLOYEE INFORMATION

New: 10/03

Chapter 22 of the Iowa Code, known as the Open Records Act, governs the release of information to the public. I.C.A. § 22.21 (1) insures that “every person shall have the right to examine and copy public records and to publish or otherwise disseminate public records or the information contained therein.” The exemptions to the release of information to the public are enumerated in I.C.A. § 22.7(11), “Personal information in confidential personnel records of public bodies including but not limited to cities, boards of supervisors, and school districts.”

As a public employer, the State of Iowa has the duty to keep certain employee information confidential while at the same time must release certain employee information to the public upon request. The following guidelines should be used when determining employee information may be released.

Public Information

The following information is considered public information and may be released to the public upon written request:

· Employee compensation;

· Employee’s accrual, utilization, and balance of vacation, sick leave, and compensatory time;

· In the case of an employee who violated a law, very general information pertaining to the specific law violated. Take great care in releasing such information, in areas of uncertainty; always err on the side of caution.

Confidential Information

The following information is considered confidential and may not be released to the public:

· Employee’s home address, gender, and date of birth;

· Information pertaining to Management discipline of an employee;

· Job performance or job evaluations;

· In the case of an employee who violated the law, any identifying information as well as any information that may impede an internal investigation into the employee’s conduct.