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earlier, you may be required to adhere to a UF if the content of a document you created
dress code policy designed to fit the needs or worked on appeared on the front page of
of your work unit. There may be special a newspaper. If the answer is yes, think about
requirements surrounding breaks, overtime, editing it before finalizing and sharing.
or how to request time off from work. There
could also be certain standard operating Some items fall outside of the Sunshine Law and
procedures designed for quality and may be confidential. Some exceptions to the
consistency in the work performed in your Sunshine Law include student records protected
area. Your immediate supervisor is the best by a federal law called the Family Educational
person to share any such expectations. Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Patient
medical records are also protected by a federal
aProTip: If you come across any law called the Health Insurance Portability and
written guidance (a UF regulation, policy, Accountability Act (HIPAA). Other examples of
departmental guideline, etc.) that you find information you would never want to include in
confusing, please ask your supervisor or UFHR an email or an attachment are Social Security
for clarification. numbers and birthdates. No one else has a need
to know this personal information.
Employees in positions covered by a collective
bargaining agreement (USPS; UFPD officers, Because there are certain exceptions to the
sergeants, and lieutenants) should refer to the Florida Sunshine Law (like FERPA, HIPAA, and
applicable collective bargaining agreement, others), it is crucial that all requests for UF
which also governs the terms and conditions records be properly reviewed and processed. If a
of employment. UF’s collective bargaining member of the public contacts you and asks you
agreements are all available online. for documents, unless you work in the General
Counsel’s Office and disclosing public records is
Public Records and Media part of your job, you should not be handing out
Requests UF documents to anyone outside of UF. To make
things easier on everyone, we have a centralized
As a state agency, UF is required by Florida’s Public Records Center that reviews, processes,
Sunshine Law (Chapter 119 of the Florida and handles these requests.
Statutes) to disclose copies of certain UF public
records when they are requested. The reasoning aProTip: If you are contacted by the
behind the law is that public entities like UF are media and asked to speak on behalf of the
subject to public scrutiny. UF is accountable to University of Florida, please refer such requests
the public, which has the power to review and to the General Counsel’s Office. (They are pros
analyze the university’s records and decisions. at handling this.) Find more information on the
The law embraces transparency in how UF UF media contacts website.
operates and may require some information be Access to Your Personnel
available to the public. That seems fair enough,
doesn’t it? Records
What this means is a lot of the documents you Your personnel file is maintained by UFHR
read or create (including your work emails Processing and Records. This file may contain
and your personnel file) are subject to public items such as your application, performance
disclosure. That’s good to know. Ask yourself appraisals, deficiency reports, changes in work
whether it would be embarrassing to you or or personnel status, and any other information
19 TEAMS/USPS Employee Handbook (Sept. 2018)
