California Court Personnel Files

Section 71660 requires each trial court to adopt personnel rules, subject to the obligation to meet and confer in good faith, to provide trial court employees with access to their official personnel files. The rules must provide specified provisions.

First, each trial court must, at reasonable times and intervals, permit an employee, upon that employee’s request, to inspect any personnel files that are used, or have been used, to determine that employee’s qualifications for employment, promotion, additional compensation, or termination or other disciplinary action.

Second, each trial court must keep a copy of each employee’s official personnel files at the place where the employee reports to work, or make the official personnel files available where the employee reports to work within a reasonable period of time after a request for the official personnel files by the employee.

Third, records of a trial court employee relating to the investigation of a possible criminal offense, letters of reference, and other matters protected by constitutional, statutory, or common law provisions, must be excluded from the personnel files for purposes of this section.