A 201 file, as stated in advisory opinion no. 2018-028 by the National Privacy Commission, generally contains the records of employees’ personal information, employment contract, duties, salary, performance, and employment history, among others. Said file is kept and updated over time based on the employee’s salary adjustment, step increment, training and development, performance evaluation, promotion, and other necessary updates.
On a side note, do you ever wonder why it is called “201 files”? Interesting as it may seem, the term “201 files” stemmed from the U.S Military wherein all information about a soldier is in the DA Form 201. Additionally, Siegfried Bueno Mison (2018) surmised that the number 2 stands for the intelligence branch, and the very first file, of course, was 01; thus, “201 files” was created.
Through the advancement of technology, keeping and updating employees’ 201 files has drastically improved. The evolution and creation of technology such as the typewriter, the punch card, the photocopier, and the computer and printer, paved the way for records filing to shift from being predominantly paper to increasingly digital.
While the digitization of 201 files has been adopted firsthand by the private sector due to ease of resources and a manageable number of employees, the public sector has also become at par in terms of record keeping and updating. The Comprehensive HRM Assistance, Review, and Monitoring (CHARM), a component of Program to institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM) based on CSC Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 3, s. 2012, pertains to a detailed appraisal of the human resource management systems and standards, management of human resource records, and other systems and program. Correspondingly, keeping teachers' 201 files in both electronic and physical filing systems through consistent organization methods by trained HR staff members has led to organized employees' 201 files. Through the digital conversion of physical filing systems, some benefits could be experienced.
1. Productivity and Efficiency
Updating 201 files can be more flexible and less time-consuming since data can easily be stored and tracked in online data storage. With this, HR staff can do other tasks such as preparing service records of employees who requested it, answering queries regarding employees' GSIS transactions, and entertaining walk-in clients, along with others.
Creating and editing data through spreadsheets can easily be done online through the use of an application such as Google Sheets shared with other HR staff members or through the use of a document management system created for staff filing. These can make the workload easier since data is readily available upon viewing and realtime editing can be done whenever necessary.
Apart from the physical filing system, digitized 201 files could serve as backup filing. Moreover, data shared can be protected and may not easily be erased or edited, depending on the access granted to users.
Checking employees’ records through the physical filing system could be time-consuming especially when you need to know specific details from all the teachers, such as years of service in the government for loyalty claims, teachers who will have their Notice of Step Increment (NOSI), and those who are retiring, and so on. Through the uploaded documents of teachers that are readily accessible for viewing, such information needed can easily be retrieved and provided.
Adapting digital conversion of teachers’ 201 files is a big help for those who have personnel responsibilities. In my case as an administrative assistant dealing with a handful of responsibilities such as assisting in the financial management of the school, keeping 201 files of teachers, NOSI, NOSA, DTRs, FORM 7, loyalty claims, and doing liaisons, digital conversion of physical filing system of 201 files provides convenience in searching, updating, editing, copying, and printing documents when needed. Consequently, it also provides extra time to address other concerns that are also vital in the delivery of public service.
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