Historical information on human resources files

What are human resources files?

Human resources files are a collection of documents and records containing information about an organization's employees. These files are maintained by the human resources department and include employment contracts, resumes, job applications, performance evaluations, and disciplinary actions. 

They are crucial for managing employee relations, compensation and benefits, compliance with HR policies and regulations, as well as ensuring the protection of sensitive personal information from unauthorized access or use. 

It is important for companies to have a robust human resources document management system and for department professionals and leaders to be properly trained to handle and manage these files, ensuring compliance with HR policies, regulations, and laws and avoiding legal consequences.

How to manage human resources files?

Managing employee files involves ensuring compliance with human resources policies, regulations, and laws to avoid fines, penalties, or legal lawsuits. 

It is important to maintain a file for each employee with all required documents, limited authorized access, document classification, expiration review, litigation hold process, employee access provision, retention schedule, and secure disposal process. However, managing employee files can be a challenge due to document dispersion and the use of multiple systems to store and share documents. 

A robust human resources document management system that limits access, provides audit logs, and integrates with other HR systems can help with compliance and protect a company's reputation and trust. Best practices for HR compliance include documenting the employee lifecycle, defining records, and providing adequate training to HR professionals and people leaders. It is also important to comply with security requirements for confidential information to avoid fines or legal consequences.

What is the best way to maintain human resources files?

To ensure compliance with applicable regulations, it is recommended to have a written policy for each organization that establishes which documents should be created and retained, who should do so, and in which location. In this regard, it is advisable to opt for a digital solution that provides greater security to both the information and the company.

The requirements that must be taken into account when choosing software is its level of cybersecurity. At Sora, we have cryptography and document encryption that prevent information theft as well as signature forgery, in addition to security that monitors the platform 24/7.