Employee Records
Part of Performance review software
Choosing who can see review information
Set review visibility by role, item and stage, then check sharing, exports and manager changes in the proposed platform.
Decide access to each review item at each stage. A self-review, manager draft, peer comment, rating, final result and employee response may need different audiences. Before configuring the platform, record who may view, write, release, export and correct each item.
Build an access map
List the roles the organisation uses: employee, current and former manager, manager’s manager, review administrator, HR reviewer and vendor support. For each role, specify the information needed and when access should start or end.
| Item | Questions to settle |
|---|---|
| Manager draft | Can the employee see it before the discussion? Who can edit it? |
| Peer feedback | Who sees the contributor’s identity and comments? |
| Rating and calibration notes | Who sees the original and changed rating, and when? |
| Employee response | Can a manager edit the employee’s words or only reply? |
| Notifications and exports | What details leave the review screen, and who receives them? |
This is an access worksheet, not a claim that every product offers item-level controls. If a distinction cannot be configured, decide whether a controlled manual process is adequate.
Check sharing in the proposed setup
Access changes when results are released. Culture Amp separates the designation of shareable questions from the later sharing action.
Its guide says administrators select which questions can be shared before the cycle goes live and turn on sharing. Peer and upward feedback can be shared separately from or together with manager reviews.
15Five distinguishes Basic visibility, which includes the participant, direct manager and designated review roles, from Hierarchy visibility, which also extends up the reporting line. Its settings also address past-review access for direct and additional managers.
These settings establish defaults for future cycles. Changes do not apply retroactively to active cycles unless the setting is marked with an asterisk. Inspect a senior manager’s view and the historical access of a newly assigned manager.
Review Access Settings Across Platforms
- Culture AmpAdmins select shareable questions pre-cycle; peer & upward feedback can be shared separately from manager reviews.
- 15FiveBasic visibility: participant, direct manager, designated roles. Hierarchy visibility: extends up reporting line. Past-review access configurable for managers.
Follow information outside the platform
Check notifications, downloaded files, reports, integrations and administrator views. Record who can export information and who controls the copy afterwards. Repeat the access check when someone changes teams or leaves an administrator role.
Privacy obligations cannot be inferred from a product permission label. The OAIC says a private-sector employer’s handling of an employee record is exempt from the Privacy Act if it is directly related to a current or former employment relationship.
The exemption is limited to handling in the employer’s capacity as employer; assess the vendor’s handling separately.
Approve the access map when each role has the information it needs at the right time, and the organisation can explain who may retrieve the record later.
Privacy Compliance Considerations for Employee Records
- Privacy Act Exemption
- Employer handling of employee records is exempt if directly related to employment.
- Vendor Handling
- Separate assessment required – not covered by employer exemption.
- Record Retrieval
- Organisation must explain who may retrieve records later.
