The HR document guide: because the law never forgets, but you do...

In the human resources family, I ask for HR documents. These play an essential role, far beyond simple administrative management. Contracts, pay slips, safety registers... these elements reflect both your legal obligations and your social commitments.

And in the age of digital transformation, dematerialization has become an essential solution. It facilitates access to information, reduces costs and frees up time for higher value-added tasks. But beware: a successful digital transition requires a solid strategy, particularly to guarantee data security and compliant archiving.

To achieve this, it's essential to adopt the right tools and methods. Whether you're the head of an SME or the HR director of a large organization, are you ready to transform your HR operations and processes? Focus on HR documents, your obligations, and tips for good management.

See all software HR Management System (HRMS)

What are HR documents?

HR documents include all the files and written documents related to human resources management within a company. They make it possible to keep track of employees, from the moment they are hired to the moment they leave.

These documents play several essential roles:

• Compliance with legal obligations: employment contracts, pay slips or accident registers.
• Administrative management: tracking leave, absences or hours worked.
• Prevention and safety: job descriptions, occupational health certificates or audits.

[List] What are the main administrative documents used in human resources management?

We list the main HR documents here; their respective conversation times are detailed further down in this article. 🤓

Employment contracts and retention periods

Employment contracts are fundamental in HR management, establishing the foundations of the employer-employee relationship. Employment contracts are essential in HR, defining the rights and obligations between employer and employee. They must be kept for at least five years after the end of the contract to prevent disputes. Electronic Document Management (EDM) facilitates their secure storage and access, guaranteeing compliance and efficiency for HR.

Pay slips and timesheets

Payslips and timesheets are the backbone of your HR document management. They are essential for administrative regularity and compliance with legal obligations, reflecting remuneration paid and verifying hours worked.

Make sure they contain all mandatory information, with a five-year retention period.

For secure archiving and electronic transmission, use HR software! Confidentiality and data integrity guaranteed. 🔐

Occupational health and safety documents

Occupational health and safety documents are crucial to employee well-being and company compliance. They include:

• safety data sheets,
• accident registers
• and training certificates.

These documents prevent risks and guarantee a safe environment. Ensure compliance and rapid action in the event of an audit. Mastering these documents promotes a culture of safety and strengthens your operational efficiency.

Mutual insurance affiliation documents

Mutual insurance affiliation documents are essential to ensure employee health coverage. They formalize membership of the complementary group health plan, guaranteeing coverage of medical expenses not covered by Social Security. 🩺

For the company, these documents attest to compliance with the legal obligation to offer a mutuelle to its employees. For the employee, they secure access to quality care and appropriate reimbursements.

Medical check-ups

Medical check-ups attest to an employee's fitness for work. They are the result of examinations carried out by the occupational physician, aimed at preventing occupational risks and ensuring the health of employees.

For the employee, they guarantee that his or her state of health is compatible with the demands of the job. For the employer, these documents are proof of compliance with legal obligations in terms of medical monitoring.

Disciplinary notifications and sanctions

Transparent management of notifications and disciplinary sanctions is essential. Document every infraction and action taken accurately, detailing the nature of the infraction and the evidence. This ensures fairness and prevents legal disputes. HRIS integrations centralize and secure these records, reinforcing adherence to compliance standards. Rigorous documentation supports efficient and transparent human resources management.

Proof of payment of social security contributions for employees

Proof of payment of social security contributions certifies that the employer has paid the compulsory social security contributions for each employee. These documents are crucial for the company, proving compliance with legal obligations and avoiding financial penalties.

For the employee, they ensure the opening of social rights such as retirement, health insurance or unemployment.

💡 Please note: these documents are crucial in the event of a tax audit or dispute! They must be kept for 3 years.

Professional interview summaries

Professional interview summaries summarize exchanges between employer and employee on their career path, skills and development prospects.

• For the employee, they offer a clear vision of professional development and career opportunities.
• For the company, they enable it to monitor skills development and anticipate training needs. These documents attest to compliance with career management obligations.

Employee travel data

Travel tracking data records employee missions, business trips and professional travel.

For the employee, it guarantees transparency on allowances received and recognition of efforts made during travel.

For the company, this information is essential for managing expenses, ensuring the safety of employees on the move and optimizing resources.

Personnel files: a strategic asset

Although not mandatory, the personnel file is a powerful strategic tool. It centralizes all important information on each employee, enabling rapid, documented decisions.

For a well-structured file, include :

1. Administrative information: Name, contact details, identity.
2. Contractual documents: Contracts and amendments.
3. Career history: Job developments and changes.
4. Performance management: Appraisals and objectives.
5. Training data: Registrations and certifications.
6. Health and safety documents: Required for high-risk positions.
7. Disciplinary notations
8. Other information such as work permits.

Which company registers are mandatory or optional?

1. Single personnel register

This register lists, in order of hiring, all the company's employees, including trainees and workers on secondment. It must contain information such as :

• surname
• first name
• nationality
• date of birth
• gender
• job title
• qualifications,
• entry and exit dates,
• and type of contract.

These details must be kept for five years after the employee's departure.

2. Occupational risk assessment document (DUERP)

The DUERP lists the risks to which employees are exposed, and proposes preventive measures. It must be updated at least once a year, and whenever working conditions change.

3. Public health and environmental alert register

This register records alerts issued by employees concerning risks to public health or the environment associated with the company's activities.

4. Social and Economic Committee (CSE) questions register

This contains written requests from CSE members and the employer's reasoned responses. This register is mandatory in companies with a CSE.

Other registers

5. Register of serious and imminent danger

This register is used to report situations presenting a serious and imminent danger to employees. It is kept at the disposal of CSE members and the labor inspectorate.

6. Special weekly rest register

Mandatory for companies that do not grant collective weekly rest on Sundays, this register specifies the rest days allocated to each employee.

7. Register or table organizing shift work

For companies operating in successive shifts, this register details the composition of shifts and the corresponding working hours.

8. Register of safety checks and inspections

This register records the checks and inspections carried out on company equipment and installations to ensure employee safety.

9. Home-worker accounting register

For employers using home workers, this register details the supplies and raw materials made available to them.

10. Register of personal data processing activities

In compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), this register lists the personal data processing carried out by the company.

What is the mandatory retention period for HR documents?

Documents relating to employment contracts and remuneration

• Employment contracts, riders, agreements: to be kept for 5 years after the end of the contract.
• Pay slips: must be kept for 5 years.
• Documents relating to salaries, bonuses, allowances, balances of all accounts: to be kept for 5 years.

Documents relating to social security charges and taxes

• Documents relating to social security charges and payroll tax: keep for 3 years.
• Summary statements of social security contributions: keep for 3 years.

Documents relating to working hours

• Recording of employees' working hours, on-call time and compensation: keep for 1 year.
• Tracking of days worked by employees on fixed-price contracts: keep for 3 years.

Documents relating to health and safety

• Work-related accident declarations to the CPAM: to be kept for 5 years from the date of the accident.
• Observations and formal notices from the labor inspectorate: to be kept for 5 years.

Mandatory registers

• Single personnel register: to be kept for 5 years from the date of departure of the employee.
• Document unique d'évaluation des risques professionnels (DUERP): to be kept for 40 years.

Documents relating to professional interviews

• Summary of professional interviews: to be kept for 6 years.

Employee personal data

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation ( RGPD), employees' personal data must be kept only for as long as is necessary for the purpose of the processing. Once this purpose has been achieved, the data must be deleted or anonymized.

HR documents and dematerialization: what's at stake for companies?

Dematerialization is revolutionizing HR management through the agility and efficiency it brings. It involves converting your physical documents into digital format, optimizing your internal processes.

Its advantages include

• reduces administrative costs
• improves information accessibility and supports your legal compliance,
• centralizes your documents on a digital platform for fast searches, easy sharing and real-time collaboration,
• limits errors and guarantees up-to-date data,
• automates regulatory updates and changes,
• saves on printing and physical storage.

🛡️ Please note: security is crucial when dematerializing. Use advanced encryption, multi-factor authentication and strict access protocols, especially for sensitive data. Ensure that data is archived according to legal standards, with regular backups. Automated retention periods reduce human error.

And if all this doesn't speak to you... It's your lucky day: HR tools take care of it for you!

Tools and tips for better document management in human resources

HRIS solutions immediately spring to mind, as they centralize your HR data, improving access and management. They integrate all your information in one place for superior collaboration and accuracy. As a result, you reduce processing times and minimize errors.

But you can also automate the creation of contracts, payslips and vacation management. This relieves your teams of repetitive tasks, optimizes your workflows and ensures legal compliance. So you can make informed decisions.

See all software HR Management System (HRMS)

From the moment an employee is hired to the moment he or she leaves, documents structure your HR processes.

Human resources management relies on rigorous documentation throughout each employee's career. From the moment an employee is hired, documents such as the employment contract, the pre-employment declaration (DPAE) and the mutual insurance affiliation documents are essential to formalize the contractual relationship and ensure legal compliance.

During the course of the collaboration, keeping up-to-date pay slips, time sheets, medical examination notices and summaries of professional interviews enables us to monitor the employee's progress and comply with legal obligations in terms of health, safety and training.

When an employee resigns, is dismissed or retires, he or she is required to submit documents such as a certificate of employment, a Pôle emploi certificate and a final pay receipt. These documents attest to the end of the contractual relationship and facilitate the employee's subsequent actions.

Efficient management of these documents, in compliance with legal retention periods, is essential to ensure company compliance and optimize human resources management. The dematerialization of HR documents, while guaranteeing their security and accessibility, is a modern solution for meeting these requirements.