With all the talk about Paid Sick Leave dominating the headlines, it’s important to remember that other bills get passed too.

Quietly, late last month, the Connecticut General Assembly beefed up the penalties to employers who do not follow the Personnel Files Act.

The Act requires employers to give employees access to their personnel files twice a year.  I’ve previously discussed what should and should not be in a personnel file (and what types of access are required) in a previous post here.

The new law (already signed by the Governor) says that employers who violate the Personnel Files Act are liable to the Connecticut Department of Labor for a civil penalty of $500 for that particular employee. Subsequent violations regarding a particular employee can lead to a fine of $1000.  Notably, there is still no private right of an employee to sue over access to his or her personnel file.

What’s the Takeaway for Employers?

The new law should serve as a reminder that Connecticut has a very detailed law regarding access to personnel files. Make sure that the practice is followed; otherwise, costly fines could start to accrue.