5.1. The official personnel file of each employee shall be maintained at the District's Human Resources Department. Any employee files kept by any supervisor shall not contain any material that is not in the main personnel file. No adverse action of any kind shall be taken against any employee based upon materials that are not in the official personnel file.

5.2 Employees shall be provided with copies of any written personnel related material ten (10) workdays before it is placed in the employee's personnel file. The employee and his/her designated representative as described in Section 5.6 shall be given an opportunity during normal working hours and without loss of pay to initial and date the material and to prepare a written response to such material. The written response shall be attached to the material.

5.3 An employee and his/her designated representative as described in Section 5.6 shall have the right at any reasonable time without loss of pay to examine and/or obtain a copy of any material from the employee's personnel file with the exception of material that was obtained prior to the employment of the employee involved.

5.4 All personnel files shall be kept in confidence and shall be available for inspection by only the named employee, his/her designated representative, as described in Section 5.6, the Human Resources Department in the performance of duty, and the supervisor/administrator with the specific responsibility to know its contents. The District shall keep a confidential log in the Human Resources Department indicating the persons who have examined a personnel file as well as the date and reason such examinations were made. Routine clerical access by appropriate personnel staff need not be logged.

5.5 Written material or drafts of written material to be placed in an employee's file shall bear the employee's signature and date of such placement.

5.6 Employees may designate one representative who, upon written authorization of the employee, shall have access rights to that employee's personnel file for the purpose of assisting or advocating the rights of such employee.