Supervisory Notes. A. Individual files on each employee, not approved by the Agency as an official system of record, will not be kept by management officials at any level.
B. Subject to Paragraph C, if supervisors make a personal decision to keep notes on employees, the notes or files:
1. must be absolutely uncirculated, will be viewed only in accordance with official agency business and/or a need to know basis, and 2. must be maintained in secure fashion in order to prevent disclosure.
C. Supervisory notes may only be used to support any action detrimental to an employee if such note(s) have been shown and provided a copy to the employee at the earliest available time after cited incident or event involving the employee. Note(s) can be provided to an appropriate management official with a legitimate need to know for the performance of their duties.
D. The time frames for retaining supervisory notes will be up to 1 year, unless used in a personnel action.
E. The employee shall have the right to prepare and enter a concise statement of disagreement with any supervisory note provided to the employee.
Supervisory Notes. Supervisory notes are the supervisor’s personal notes that may be kept as a reminder in carrying out their supervisory responsibilities. If a supervisor makes a personal decision to keep notes on an employee, the notes: Must be absolutely uncirculated, they cannot be reviewed by anyone else (including secretaries, other supervisors, or Department official(s)); and, Must be maintained in secure fashion in order to prevent unauthorized disclosure, in accordance with 5 CFR 293. Supervisory notes may only be used to support any action detrimental to an employee if such notes have been shown to the employee at the earliest available time after the entry was made and a copy provided to the employee. If a supervisor gives a copy of the note to the employee more than 7 calendar days after the note was created, the supervisor must provide a written explanation why there was a delay in providing the note. In any event, supervisory notes may be retained for six months, unless used in a personnel action. Once an employee has received a copy of the supervisory notes, the notes can be provided to an appropriate Department official with a legitimate need to know for the performance of their duties.
Supervisory Notes a. Supervisors may retain notes, commonly referred to as “memory joggers.” These notes are considered to be mere extensions of a supervisor’s memory and are not Agency records subject to the record keeping or other requirements of applicable laws and regulations, including the Privacy Act. Notes may be retained or discarded, at the discretion of the supervisor. Supervisors must maintain such notes in a secure manner and not disclose them to anyone without a need to know.
b. Employees may request in writing a copy of specific documents, records, files, or notes that reflect negatively on the employee and the supervisor will provide the documents within a reasonable amount of time. Any grievance time limits, if applicable, shall be suspended for the same amount of time it takes for the document(s) to be provided to the employee.
c. Personal notes or memory joggers shall not be used to circumvent timely disclosure to an employee, nor may they be used to retain information that should properly be contained in a system of records.
d. If a supervisor uses any information contained in his or her personal notes/memory joggers as part of an official record that information will be maintained in accordance with the Privacy Act, and the employee is entitled to be notified of the intent to use that information and provided a copy upon request.
e. The maintenance of a supervisor’s notes will not preclude the supervisor from addressing any conduct or performance issues in a timely manner.
f. Personnel records/files/notes that do not have legal or regulatory requirements to be maintained beyond their expiration date shall be considered expunged from the record.
Supervisory Notes. 1. Subject to Paragraph 2, infra, if a supervisor makes a personal decision to keep notes on an employee, the notes: (1) must be absolutely uncirculated, they cannot be reviewed by anyone else (including secretaries, other supervisors, or management official(s)) and (2) must be maintained in secure fashion in order to prevent unauthorized disclosure.
2. Supervisory notes may only be used to support any action detrimental to an employee if such notes have been shown to the employee at the earliest available time after the entry was made and a copy provided to the employee. Once an employee has received a copy of the supervisory notes, the notes can be provided to an appropriate management official with a legitimate need to know for the performance of their duties.
3. The time frames for retaining supervisory notes will be up to six months, unless used in a personnel action.
Supervisory Notes. Management officials at any level will not keep files specific to individual RNs maintained under their name, social security number, and/or any recognizable personal identifier not approved by the VA as an official system of records.
Supervisory Notes. A. Supervisory notes and files that are kept on employees and not placed in official files are for the sole use of that supervisor. They are intended only to serve as memory joggers.
B. If supervisors make a personal decision to keep notes on employees, the notes or files:
1. May not be shared with anyone unless there is an official need to know for the performance of their duties or is being used as part of an official action; and,
2. Must be maintained in secure fashion in order to prevent inappropriate disclosure.
C. Supervisory notes may only be used to support a disciplinary or adverse action if the notes are made available to the employee or designated representative.
