Applicants who are local or state government employees should be aware that North Carolina law allows their employers to release certain information about their job history and job performance to a prospective employer.
153A-98. Privacy of employee personnel records.
(a) Notwithstanding the provision of G.S. 132-6 or any other general law or local act concerning access to public records, personnel files of employees, former employees, or applicants for employment maintained by a county subject to inspection and may be disclosed only as provided by this section. For purposes of
this section employee’s personnel file consists of any information in any form gathered by the county with respect to the employee and, by way of illustration by not limitation, relating to their application, selection or non-selection, performance, promotions, demotions, transfers suspension and other disciplinary actions,
evaluation forms, leave, salary, and termination of employment. As used in this section, “employee” includes former employees of the county.
(b) The following information with respect to each county employee is a matter of public record.
(i) Name.
(ii) Age.
(iii) Date of original employment or appointment to the county service.
(iv) The terms of any contract by which the employee is employed whether written, oral, past and current, to the extent that the county has the written contract or a record of the oral contract in its possession.
(v) Current position.
(vi) Title.
(vii) Current salary.
(viii) Date and amount of each increase or decrease in salary with that county.
(ix) Date and type of each promotion, demotion, transfer, suspension, separation or other change in position or classification with that county.
(x) Date and general description of the reasons for each promotion within that county.
(xi) Date and type of each dismissal, suspension, or demotion for disciplinary reasons taken by the county. If disciplinary action was a dismissal, a copy of the written notice of the final decision of the county setting forth the specific acts or omissions that are the bases of the dismissal.