PHR®/SPHR® Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide, Third Edition

2.17. Employee Records Management

Not surprisingly, mounds of paperwork are generated in the employment process; resumes, applications, references, government forms, and performance evaluations are just a few of the many documents created for each employee. In enacting employment legislation, Congress has mandated retention requirements for various documents that, unfortunately, are not consistent. In addition, many state and local governments have retention requirements that differ from federal requirements.

Table 2.6 lists federal document retention requirements for the PHR/SPHR exams; these may be different from the state and local requirements where you practice, so keep that in mind while you are studying. As with any other conflicting ...