Is there a place for emotions in personnel files?

Personnel files have been and continue to be created for all employed workers in organizational units. According to the common understanding, these are files whose documents reflect the course of employment and describe the relationships occurring between the employee and the employer. As a result of this perception, personnel files should contain documentation typical of an employment relationship; however, they may also include documents presenting descriptions of events marked by emotions connected with professional work or the employee’s everyday life. On the basis of selected archival materials collected in the State Archives in Bydgoszcz, an attempt was made to determine whether personnel files may contain traces that include descriptions of human emotions.