Principles for Public Safety Employment

C. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996................................................................99 D. What Information Can the Employer Give a Doctor? ...................................................................................99 E. Can the Doctor Have an Employee’s Prior Medical Records?....................................................................100 F. What Happens if a Public Safety Employee is Found Not Fit for Duty? ....................................................100 S ECTION 7 Labor Code Section 4850 and Disability Retirement ................................................................................................101 A. Overview of Labor Code Section 4850 Benefits .........................................................................................101 1. Employees Who are Eligible for 4850 Benefits ...................................................................................102 2. Employees Who are Excluded .............................................................................................................103 3. Scope of 4850 Benefits ........................................................................................................................103 B. Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Off-Duty Acts ..................................................................................104 C. Separation from Service for Disability is Prohibited if the Employee Qualifies for a Disability Retirement .....................................................................................................................................................................104 D. Retirement in Lieu of Termination and CCW Permits ................................................................................105 E. Applying for a Disability Retirement for a Public Safety Employee ..........................................................105 1. Forced Retirement: When the Employee Does Not Consent ...............................................................105 2. Determination of Eligibility for Disability Retirement May Be Made by a “Duly Authorized Official” of the Agency .......................................................................................................................................108 3. Disability Retirement May Not Be Used In Place of Disciplinary Termination ..................................108 4. A Public Safety Employee May Appeal an Agency’s Determination of Disability.............................109 F. When A Disabled Employee Qualifies for a Disability Retirement and a Service Retirement ...................109 G. Advanced Disability Payments ...................................................................................................................109 1. Reimbursement for Advanced Disability Payments.............................................................................109 2. Effect of Sick Leave Policy..................................................................................................................109 H. Steps to Limit Payment of 4850 Benefits ....................................................................................................109 S ECTION 8 Personnel Files...........................................................................................................................................................110 A. Recordkeeping Requirements for Public Safety Employees’ Personnel Records .......................................110 1. Adverse Comments ..............................................................................................................................110 2. Public Safety Employees Have the Right to Review Their Personnel Records ...................................112 3. Requests to Correct “Inaccurate Information” .....................................................................................113 4. Retention of Personnel Records ...........................................................................................................113 B. Disclosure of Public Safety Employees’ Personnel Files............................................................................113 1. California Public Records Act..............................................................................................................113 2. Union Access to Personnel File Information........................................................................................117 C. Special Considerations for Peace Officer Personnel Files ..........................................................................118 1. Overview of California Statutes Governing Peace Officer Personnel Records....................................118 2. Rules Regulating the Disclosure and/or Discovery of Peace Officer Personnel Records ....................121 3. “Pitchess” Motions to Discover Peace Officer Personnel Records ......................................................125 4. The Brady Rule ....................................................................................................................................129 5. The Impact of Brady on Your Decision-Making .................................................................................130 6. Tips for Managing Peace Officer Personnel Files................................................................................131 D. Reporting to POST ......................................................................................................................................131 S ECTION 9 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................................................................133

E NDNOTES .................................................................................................................................................................134

Principles for Public Safety Employment ©2019 (s) Liebert Cassidy Whitmore vi