If the date of August 23, 2004 still haunts you, take these 10 steps to gain compliance with the new

Measured Success! Raising the Bar in HR Issue VIII, December 2005 NEXT ISSUE: MARCH 2006 INSIDE THIS ISSUE ~ RECORD RETENTION ~ MEASURING SUCCESS! Human Capital ROI ~ DID YOU KNOW? EEOC Definition of an “Internet Applicant” RECORD RETENTIONWe are nearing the end of another year – it’s time to clear out the old to make way for the new! But what can we get rid of and what do we need to keep? Unfortunately, the rule of thumb used in personal life (if you haven’t worn it in a year get rid of it) doesn’t always apply in human resources. Take a few steps toward a more organized new year. STEP 1: Find out if your company has a record retention policy. If it does, how does the policy apply to HR information? Does the policy comply with the various employment laws? STEP 2: Implement a record retention policy or revise an existing one to ensure clarity, consistency, and ease of administration. Consider technology issues, the need for confidential document destruction, and the laws that would apply to the particular document in question. STEP 3: Implement the record retention policy by reviewing files, destroy obsolete files, and reorganize files that must be maintained. For a quick look at federal record retention requirements, refer to the grid below. For more complete information contact your employment law counsel or visit http://www.shrm.org/hrresources/whitepapers_published/CMS_000270.asp RETENTION RECORDS TO BE RETAINED ...