{"id":61589,"date":"2021-12-01T19:06:04","date_gmt":"2021-12-01T17:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/?p=61589"},"modified":"2025-08-19T09:03:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T07:03:44","slug":"how-long-do-employers-keep-employee-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/how-long-do-employers-keep-employee-records\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Do Employers Keep Employee Records?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A common question that many HR professionals ask themselves is \u201cHow long do employers keep employee records?\u201d. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A number of factors need to be taken into consideration, including state and federal <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recordkeeping and reporting laws<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You also need to take into account that <strong>there are different requirements for different types of personnel files.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this post, we will break down <strong>the various types of employment records<\/strong> that you must retain once you terminate an individual\u2019s employment. We will outline <strong>how long each document type needs to be stored<\/strong>, and <strong>which laws regulate retention<\/strong> at a federal and state level. <\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#Employee-Records-Retention-What-Laws-to-Consider\">Employee Records Retention: What Laws to Consider<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#How-Long-Do-Employers-Keep-Employee-Records-After-Termination\">How Long Do Employers Keep Employee Records After Termination?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Employee-Record-Retention-by-State\">Employee Record Retention by State<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Ensure-Compliance-with-an-HR-Audit-Checklist\">Ensure Compliance with an HR Audit Checklist<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Stay-on-Top-of-Employee-Records\">Stay on Top of Employee Records<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/document-management\">Stay Organized with Factorial \u2705<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We will also share <strong>a few tips and best practices<\/strong> to help you stay on top of your employee records and ensure compliance.\u00a0<\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"Employee-Records-Retention-What-Laws-to-Consider\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Employee Records Retention: What Laws to Consider<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, how long do employers keep employee records?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally speaking, <strong>you need to be aware of the following employment laws relating to employee recordkeeping<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/agencies\/whd\/flsa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, employers are required to keep payroll records for nonexempt employees for three years from the employment termination date.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You also need to comply with recordkeeping duties defined by the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/people\/materials\/pdfs\/EN-05-10297.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeoc.gov\/statutes\/equal-pay-act-1963\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Equal Pay Act (EPA)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The U.S. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeoc.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> requires you to maintain all employment records for one year from an employee&#8217;s termination date. The same applies to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeoc.gov\/statutes\/age-discrimination-employment-act-1967\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If an employee is involved in a dispute under the federal civil rights laws, you must keep employee files until the employer and the federal agency reach a resolution, or until the EEOC issues its decision.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You also need to be aware of any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/general\/topic\/wages\/wagesrecordkeeping\">state requirements<\/a>. More on this below.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>How-Long-Do-Employers-Keep-Employee-Records-After-Termination<\/p>\n<h2><b>How Long Do Employers Keep Employee Records After Termination?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, how long do employers keep employee records, and are there different requirements for different document types?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put simply, yes. Once you terminate an employee\u2019s contract, you need to know how long you should retain their various records to ensure compliance with a range of federal and state laws.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Let\u2019s take a look at the most common types of employee records<\/strong> and how long you should be archiving them in your employee document repository before you can safely dispose of them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>I-9 files<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You need to keep a record of all employee l-9 forms and any accompanying ID documents for 3 years after hire or 1 year after separation in a secure, separate file with all employee I-9s.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Documents must be shredded after retention dates have passed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ensures compliance with<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: IRCA, INA.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Background Checks<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pre-Employment testing results and background check documents <strong>must be kept for 1 year from employment termination.<\/strong> This included credit checks, criminal history, driving records, consent forms, and any other forms of background checks. Documents must be shredded after retention dates have passed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ensures compliance with<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: EEOC, FCRA, TITLE VII<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Employment Offers and Contracts<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All employment offers and contracts <strong>must be kept for 1 year after employment termination<\/strong> (although your state may require that you keep records for 3 years). This includes recruitment and hiring records, job applications, resumes, advertisements about job openings, screening tools, interview notes, and records relating to hiring decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ensures compliance with<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: EEOC, ADEA, ADA.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Medical Records<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>You must retain an employee\u2019s medical records for 3 years after termination.<\/strong> This includes all Family Medical Leave Records, payroll and identifying employee data, occupation, rate of pay, dates taken, hours of leave, copies of notices, documents describing benefits or policies, premium payments, and any disputes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ensures compliance with<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: FMLA.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Payroll Records<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>You need to keep a record of all payroll information for 3 years.<\/strong> This includes an employee\u2019s name, address, social security number, gender, date of birth, occupation, job classification, daily schedules, pay rate, weekly compensation, amounts and dates of payments, daily and weekly hours, overtime hours and pay, annuity and pension payments, benefits, deductions and additions, and pay period dates. You also need to keep a written explanation of variance in pay between genders for 2 years after termination.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ensures compliance with<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: FLSA, ADEA, Davis-Bacon Act, FMLA, EPA.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Employee Tax Records<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You need to keep a record of all tax documentation <strong>for a period of 4 years from the date tax was due or paid<\/strong>. This includes your EIN, together with a record of all payments, tips, in-kind wages, personal information, undeliverable W-2s, dates of employment, PTO, income tax withholding allowance certificates, dates, and amounts of tax deposits, returns filed, and fringe benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ensures compliance with<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: FICA, FUTA &amp; Internal Revenue Code.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Health &amp; Safety Records<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, you need to keep a record of all health and safety records<strong> for a period of 5 years after termination.<\/strong> This includes job-related injury records such as logs and summaries of work-related injuries and illnesses. What\u2019s more, if one of your employees is exposed to a toxic substance, you must keep a record of all medical exams and safety data sheets for 30 years after termination.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ensures compliance with<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: OSHA.<\/span><br \/>\n<!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-92fdc5c1-86d4-4160-8426-5614d1f1babe\" class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\"><span id=\"hs-cta-92fdc5c1-86d4-4160-8426-5614d1f1babe\" class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-92fdc5c1-86d4-4160-8426-5614d1f1babe\"><!-- [if lte IE 8]>\n\n\n<div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div>\n\n\n<![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/4960096\/92fdc5c1-86d4-4160-8426-5614d1f1babe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"hs-cta-img-92fdc5c1-86d4-4160-8426-5614d1f1babe\" class=\"hs-cta-img aligncenter\" style=\"border-width: 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/4960096\/92fdc5c1-86d4-4160-8426-5614d1f1babe.png\" alt=\"document management\" width=\"900\" height=\"308\" \/><\/a><\/span><script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> hbspt.cta.load(4960096, '92fdc5c1-86d4-4160-8426-5614d1f1babe', {\"useNewLoader\":\"true\",\"region\":\"na1\"}); <\/script><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><br \/>\n<a name=\"Employee-Record-Retention-by-State\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Employee Record Retention by State<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may be wondering how long to keep employee files after termination in your state. It\u2019s important that you check local requirements as <strong>each state has its own rules that regulate employee record retention<\/strong>. State laws may require you to maintain records for longer than federal regulations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s take a look at a couple of examples to highlight how requirements can change from one state to another.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>How long do employers keep employee records in California?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Payroll records and timecards should be retained for a minimum of three years after termination.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dir.ca.gov\/dlse\/california_equal_pay_act.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">California Fair Pay Act<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as amended by the Wage Equality Act of 2016, if a wage differential exists between two employees doing substantially similar work, the employer should retain any records that show a rationale for wage calculation based on seniority, merit, quality or quantity of production, or some other bona fide factor such as education, training, or experience for a period of 3 years.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>How long do employers Keep records in Texas?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You need to keep a record of payroll and tax information for 4 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You also need to keep a record of certain benefits-related materials for a period of 6 years after termination.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a name=\"Ensure-Compliance-with-an-HR-Audit-Checklist\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Ensure Compliance with an HR Audit Checklist<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you have done your research and you are aware of all recordkeeping requirements at a federal and state level, the best way to ensure <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/hr-compliance-checklist\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HR compliance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is to perform regular <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/conducting-an-hr-audit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HR audits<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. While a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/company-audit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">company audit<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> may sound like a daunting task, remember that auditing is a valuable tool that will help facilitate your business\u2019s development.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You will need to include the following in your <a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/checklist-hr-audit\/\">human resources audit checklist<\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decide whether you will conduct the audit internally or externally.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establish clear and defined objectives to result from the audit.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create a plan of action to arrive at your objectives.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collect the information and form your conclusions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prepare a report with the results of the audit.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternatively, take a look at Factorial\u2019s free <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HR audit checklist<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help you plan your HR audit and stay up to date with what\u2019s happening in your company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/templates\/download-free-hr-audit-checklist\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-114865\" src=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/23152335\/hr-audit-checklist-banner-300x103.png\" alt=\"hr-audit-checklist-download\" width=\"813\" height=\"279\" srcset=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/23152335\/hr-audit-checklist-banner-300x103.png 300w, https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/23152335\/hr-audit-checklist-banner-1024x350.png 1024w, https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/23152335\/hr-audit-checklist-banner-768x263.png 768w, https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/23152335\/hr-audit-checklist-banner.png 1350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 813px) 100vw, 813px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a name=\"Stay-on-Top-of-Employee-Records\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Stay on Top of Employee Records<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aside from performing regular compliance audits, <strong>you also need to ensure you have an efficient system for managing all your employee records.<\/strong> The best solution is to use document management software. You don\u2019t just want a system for storing documents, though. You also need to make sure you synchronize it with your payroll and time-off management software. Plus, you must have a private area for each employee in which to store contracts, withdrawals, payrolls, and ID documents.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Factorial\u2019s all-in-one HR software solution includes <strong>features for seamlessly managing all your recordkeeping processes<\/strong>. That is, you can store all your employee documents in a confidential platform and access data from any device.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>You also get the following benefits:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Individual digital folders to store all employee records\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organize your company taxes and invoices in one place<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create workflows approvals for documents<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Configure the permissions associated with documents for your managers and employees<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hide important documents so only authorized people can see them<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Secure data protection through a powerful encryption system and unique access per user.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/get-started\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sign up<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> now for your free trial and start improving your HR management with Factorial.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A common question that many HR professionals ask themselves is \u201cHow long do employers keep employee records?\u201d. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question. A number of factors need to be taken into consideration, including state and federal recordkeeping and reporting laws. You also need to take into account that there are different<a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/how-long-do-employers-keep-employee-records\/\" class=\"read-more\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":61690,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-human-resources"],"acf":{"topics":"core-document-management"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.5 (Yoast SEO v21.9.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How Long Do Employers Keep Employee Records? | Factorial<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How long do employers keep employee records? 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