Personnel records.

Senator Durazo's proposal to amend California's Labor Code expands employee access rights to personnel records by explicitly including education and training documentation among materials that employers must maintain and make available upon request.

The legislation establishes specific requirements for education and training records, mandating that employers document the employee's name, trainer identification, training duration and date, core competencies covered, and any resulting certifications or qualifications. These records would be subject to the existing 30-day timeline for employer responses to personnel file requests, with violations carrying potential penalties of $750 per incident.

The bill maintains current exemptions for certain types of records, including criminal investigation materials, reference letters, and pre-employment documentation. It preserves existing provisions that limit former employees to one request annually and cap representative requests at 50 per month. Employees covered by qualifying collective bargaining agreements that address personnel record access would remain exempt from these requirements.

While expanding record-keeping obligations for employers, the measure includes procedural safeguards such as requiring employees to first seek relief through employee relations boards before pursuing judicial remedies. The bill specifies that implementation costs would not require state reimbursement, as the changes relate to modifying existing infractions rather than creating new programs.