Requesting Oregon Personnel Records

Oregon law requires employers to provide employees (and former employees) with a certified copy of their personnel records within 45 days of making a request. The law defines “personnel records” broadly, as records that were used to determine any of the following:

• qualification for employment

• promotion

• additional compensation

• employment termination

• other disciplinary action

Time and pay records must also be included. Personnel records do not include criminal records or confidential reports from previous employers.

When making a request for personnel records, we keep it short and to the point, while informing the employer that the records are not just what is kept in a personnel file, but also records required under Oregon law regardless of where they are stored. Here is an example:

Dear Company,

I am requesting a certified copy of my personnel records pursuant to Oregon law ORS 652.750. Within 45 days of the date of this request, please send me the contents of my personnel file as well as all records used to determine my qualification for employment, promotion, additional compensation, employment termination or any other disciplinary action, wherever such records may be stored. All of my time and pay records must also be included.

You can email me the personnel records at name@domain.com or mail them to the following address:

Name
Address
City, State Zip

Sincerely,
Name

If your employer or former employer does not comply, you can file a complaint with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI).

Munsinger Law advises and represents employees in employment and civil rights disputes in Oregon and Washington.