how long do you have to keep inactive employee files?
152629
Many in business have asked the title question, often in frustration. Even in this electronic age businesses run on paper; consider how much information exists both electronically and in hard copy. Paper, which we seem to have in excess in business, will be with us for some time. And the piles keep getting taller and the files fuller. Can't we ever get rid of some of this?\n\nWe can partly conquer the paper plague. The problems lie in determining what must be retained and for how long and deciding how to get unnecessary material separated from the rest.\n\nThe employee records of interest to most businesses fall into two categories: the financial side of employment and all other employment documentation. The financial side is the more orderly; business owners find the most variation in record-keeping requirements among documents kept in personnel files. Some of the confusion arises from the fact that different Federal laws specify different retention periods for the same documents.\n\nFinancial Records\nCompensation records -- amounts and payment dates, straight time and overtime hours and pay, pension payments, benefits plan payments and other additions and deductions -- should be kept for four years. Affecting most employers, the four-year requirement is specified in the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) and Federal Unemployment Tax Act and by Federal Income Tax Withholding. The Equal Pay Act and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) designate some of these documents for three years' retention, but the longer period applies in practice. The Equal Pay Act and FLSA also require that daily work schedules, pay rates and weekly compensation be retained for three years; these are not addressed in the laws designating four years' retention. Likewise, tax records -- wages subject to withholding, taxes withheld and other tax information -- are subject to the four-year requirement.\n\nNon-financial Records\nAccording to FICA, Unemployment and Withholding, basic employee data -- name, address, gender, birth date, etc. -- must be retained four years. Personnel files are maintained for active employees, so this requirement is reasonably interpreted as needing to keep these records for four years following termination. One exception under FSLA, applicable to many small businesses, involves work permits for minors; these be retained until the employee leaves or reaches majority age.\n\nRecords of Actions\nRecords of actions such as promotions, demotions, transfers, layoffs, recalls, terminations and such must be kept for one year per Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). But for all practical purposes these are part the personnel file for the duration of employment and longer.\n\nSafety and Health Records\nThe Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) mandates the longest retention periods. Records of exposure to toxic substances and blood-borne pathogens must be retained for the duration of employment plus 30 years. OSHA sometimes designates even longer periods for exposure to certain substances, and some states have "right-to-know" laws requiring retention of exposure records for the duration of employment plus 40 years. We can consider 4 years as the standard for compensation and tax information, but a personnel file can hold documents having legal retention periods of one to five years and 30 to 40 years after termination. There are about a dozen federal laws specifying these retention periods.\n\nAccumulated Records\nWhat to do about accumulated records? Simple for financial records: discard compensation and tax records after four years. Obvious? Perhaps, but one can sometimes be surprised upon discovering dusty caches of such records much older than four years.\n\nThe answer isn't as simple for documents held in personnel files. We have good reason to keep records of employment actions for the duration of e
1176556
I believe that depending on your state law, usually its 30 days after you send out notice. I know the most you can give is 90 days. Make sure to keep proof that you sent them out notices and they repeatly ignored all attempts to contact them. Or if you don't know what your state law is, I would store the items for awhile until you find out. Usually its 30 days but laws are different now so dont want to say it is 100%.
183466
Yes, you'll want to create a new user under Windows.  This will allow you to login differently and keep all your documents under a folder in your own name.  You can actually go and remove the folder for the old user afterward, as long as you remember to move any important documents from there BEFORE you delete.
1177440
Customarily it's common to give at least a 2-week notice. As far as paid for holidays I only know of paying for vacation days left
42950
If you delete them and can't find them in the "Trash" folder, it won't matter how old or how new they were: they're gone.\n\nIf you do find them in the "Trash" folder, and want to be able to keep them around a little more time, *move them OUT of the Trash folder*! Because otherwise there's the risk of a maintenance on the server, which might very well empty your Bulk and Trash folders...
901526
You can't delete them.  Depending on what they are they will come off automatically.  Things like credit cards and such stay on for 7 years and then come off.
720973
did u mean temperory files by data files ??\nthen these files are stored on : \nD:&#92;Documents and Settings&#92;Administrator&#92;Local Settings\n\nif ur system works slowly then remove these files by disk cleanup option from start menu > program > accessories > system tools > disk cleanup
1101743
Keep your files in a hierarchical structure that's what I do and it helps alot. Like you can have "my docs" then "work docs" then "week of 5-05-06" and so on. Oh, did you mean acutal paper documents? Get hanging document holders and label them but in an organized way. I have some and it helps.
653664
Theoretically, the SS administration has the records. However, they may not keep the details that long.\n\nNot to be harsh, but it's reasonable to expect a person to know where they've worked.
1177574
Put you are still currently employed. You should give two weeks notice so they don't give you a bad reference
517622
"is this for certain that this will not delete any of my files?"\n\nDo a backup just in case.  I backup my files every month to be on the safe side.
101170
There is not a company that keeps record of all this information. If you worked for less then 30 days at anyone job I would not mention it, it shows inconsistency. When it asks for when you worked just put the month and year.\n\nThe closest thing that you could use to locate all of your employees would be looking at your W-2's, you should keep them, if you don't, you should certainly start keeping them.\n\nGood luck
653297
If you have all of your paper work (certified copy of your birth certificate is important, info for direct deposit is also important) then 2 or 3 months is okay.
982764
Your employer should have a copy
9873
My former employer used to donate old PC's to local ROP (Regional Occupational Program) non-profits, who would recondition them, or strip them for parts.  They were then used to retrain the unemployed for new careers.
211766
you need to keep financial records for 7 years.  You can refile and make adjustments going back 3, but the IRS is allowed to go back 7 years.
451123
Records should be keeped for at least 7 years according to California state law.