A supervisor file (also known as a Soft File, or a Desk File) is an unofficial place for people leaders to keep fact-based notes about coaching, performance, attendance, milestones and positive contributions.
Should I keep the supervisor file in the employee file? The short answer is a resounding NO. Only official documentation connected to corrective action or a performance evaluation can or should go in the official employee file.
If it is not tied to one of those actions, do not place it in the employee’s file.
But if you want to remember something informal, put it in your supervisor’s file. Maybe you noticed behavior that is dangerously close to a policy violation, or maybe an employee stepped up and did an outstanding job and wanted to remember that at evaluation time. Maybe it was something related to attendance. Fact based notes like that can go in a supervisor file.
Supervisor file notes stay confidential unless they become relevant to an official action. If fact-based notes support a wage increase, performance evaluation, or corrective action, the relevant information into the official documentation.
Finally, supervisor files do not live forever, and you should not pass them down to your replacement. It’s a record of your personal experiences. Review the files and purge them regularly; annual evaluation time is a good reminder to clean up the file.