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What are my options if I find my personal information on the company search engine?

Question Details: I was recently told by a manager from a different location and state that while he was glad to meet me, he has also read interesting things about me. So when I returned to my work location, I entered my name into the company search engine and found caution letters, memo-for-records and verbal corrective action reports by my current manager thatoccurred years earlier. I have been applying for job openings and now I'm wondering if this has had an impact. Also, the letters and records do not state the actual circumstances for which the reported incident occurred. What can I do?

Asked on 9/11/2018 under:     Employment and Labor     Washington

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SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney Answered 5 months ago | Contributor

There is no legal restriction about posting elements of your personnel file or disciplinary history (other than a few obvious things: e.g. your social security number, medical issues, bank account information, etc.) on a company system or website; what you describe is something they can do, and there is nothing you can do about it.

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M.D., Member, California And New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney Answered 5 months ago | Contributor

As a general rule, other than certain confidential information (i.e. SSN, finacial or medical information), the is no legal prohibition about what an employer can or cannot post regarding a worker's personnel file. That is absent a union agreement or employment contract to the contrary. 

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