Do's and Don'ts of Employee Recordkeeping

http://blog.hr360.com/hr-blog/dos-and... Video Highlights: 00:47 Employers typically keep a number of different employee records, often called personnel files, as a way of documenting an employee’s relationship with a company. In certain instances, documentation in a personnel file can provide important supportive data 01:35 For purposes of today’s discussion, we’re going to divide employee records into two categories: personnel records and confidential records. Personnel files typically include basic information about the employee, documents related to the hiring process, and performance review records 02:49 Both personnel files and confidential files may contain information that is legally required to be kept under state and federal law. Federal recordkeeping requirements generally fall into three categories 04:12 Do review every document to determine whether it belongs in a personnel file or a confidential file…and store those files in a secure and locked location. 04:28 Do follow a timeline for reviewing and updating documents that age out of their required timeframes…and don’t put them in the trash. 04:55 You’ll also want to define the specific circumstances under which employees can access or copy their files (taking care to comply with any state-specific requirements), and be sure not to allow them to remove or modify documents.