290.615.  Recordkeeping requirements, inspections. — 1.  Employers shall retain records documenting hours worked by employees and earned paid sick time taken by employees, for a period of not less than three years, and shall allow the department access to such records, with appropriate notice and at a mutually agreeable time, to monitor compliance with the requirements of sections 290.600 through 290.642.

  2.  To the extent permitted by law, the director may inspect such records, and the records shall be open for inspection by the director by appointment.  Where the records required under this section are kept outside the state, the records shall be made available to the director upon demand.  Every such employer shall furnish to the director on demand a sworn statement of time records and information upon forms prescribed or approved by the director.  All the records and information obtained by the department are confidential and shall be disclosed only on order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

  3.  Nothing in this section shall be interpreted or applied, either expressly or through practical necessity, to require the department or director to access or inspect records or to create forms relating to the inspection of records if it requires the appropriation of funds to cover the costs of such acts.