Alabama § 45-58-121.06 - Public Records.

(a) Public records shall be those records as defined in Section 41–13–1. Such records may be reviewed in a manner prescribed by the director, taking into account confidentiality, convenience, and related factors.

(b) Minutes of board meetings, the classification and pay plans, payroll, actions of dismissal, suspensions, and the rules shall be considered public records. The director shall prepare and display a copy within the commission minute book of a departmental listing of employees by position that includes the employees’ hourly or biweekly pay rate as of January of each year. Other records of the department shall be held confidential by reason of public policy including test scores, eligibility lists, medical records, performance evaluations, disciplinary forms, and related materials. The confidentiality provisions shall not limit the duty of the county to produce such records and information in response to a lawful subpoena or other appropriate legal actions.

(c) The director shall maintain a personnel file for each employee containing the information commonly recognized as required, appropriate, and pertinent to support employee personnel actions. Each personnel file shall be the official source of information for responding to authorized requests from inside and outside the county for information about present and former employees. Personnel files shall be accessible to the respective department heads, supervisors, and employees upon reasonable request.

(1) The material that is authorized to be included in the personnel file is restricted to those items for which authenticity has been confirmed through established procedures, such as official county personnel forms, signed statements from the employee’s supervisors and appointing authorities, and employee references. The personnel file shall exclude materials that are not considered appropriate for use in making judgments in personnel actions.

(2) Subject to the above restrictions, the personnel file shall include the following information:

a. Qualification information.

1. Available data evidencing the employee’s knowledge, skills, abilities, experience, training, and character;

2. A completed application form for county employment;

3. Supplementary qualification facts provided by the employee, the appointing authority, department heads, or supervising personnel;

4. Test results, if applicable;

5. Interview reports;