efficient, well organized, and computerized
to keep track of the information on all these
employees. The record that is kept on each
employee is called an employee personnel file.
Personnel files contain basic information,
required forms, evaluations, job descriptions,
payroll, and benefit records. These files are con-
fidential and are kept locked in the HR office.
There is a certain amount of basic informa-
tion that must be kept for each employee. For
each employee, you need name, address, tele-
phone number, and social security number. In
addition, there are several forms that the federal
government requires that each employee fill
out. The employer must then keep these forms
on file. The first form is the W-4, Employees
Withholding Allowance Certificate. This form is
used to determine how much federal tax the
employer must take from each worker’s
paycheck.
Another required form is the I-9,
Employment Eligibility Verification. This form
is required by the Immigration Reform and
Control Act. The I-9 form documents the
employment status of each potential worker.
Potential workers are generally in three cate-
gories: U.S. citizens, who are eligible to work;
non–U.S. citizens who have gotten official per-
mission to work; and non–U.S. citizens who are
not permitted to work in the U.S. The purpose
of the I-9 form is to keep employers from hiring
non–U.S. citizens who do not have permission
to work in the United States.
The FLSA also requires that employers keep
records for each employee concerning the hours
worked and the wages earned. These records are
Chapter 17 Human Resources
395
17-12 Record keeping is one of the most important functions of HR. Computers make record keeping more
efficient.