Keep the right staff records

Introduction

There are clear legal and business reasons for keeping data on your workers.

However, under the Data Protection Act 1998, you also have important legal duties relating to how you keep staff records and what you do with them.

In addition, employees are entitled to access certain records and can seek compensation for damage or distress suffered as a result of a breach of the Act. This means that you should take care when recording information about your staff.

This guide explains what records you should keep, for how long and offers advice on how to set up a staff records system. It also explains your legal obligations as an employer and your employees' rights regarding information you hold on them.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• Legal requirements and business benefits of keeping staff records
• Setting up a staff records system
• How long to keep staff records
• Staff records and your data protection obligations
• A worker's right to access their records

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