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

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

And in the age of digital transformation, dematerialisation has become an essential solution. It facilitates access to information, reduces costs and frees up time for higher added-value tasks. But beware: a successful digital transition requires a solid strategy, in particular to ensure 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 organisation, 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 documents relating to the management of human resources in a company. They make it possible to keep track of employees from the time they are hired until they leave.

These documents play a number of essential roles:

• Compliance with legal obligations: employment contracts, pay slips or accident registers.
• Administrative management: monitoring leave, absences and 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. 🤓

The employment contract and retention period

Employment contracts are fundamental in HR management, laying 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

Pay slips 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 the 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 ensure 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 membership documents

Mutual insurance membership documents are essential to ensure that employees have health cover. They formalise membership of the collective supplementary health insurance scheme, guaranteeing that medical expenses not covered by Social Security will be covered. 🩺

For the company, these documents attest to compliance with the legal obligation to offer its employees a mutual health insurance scheme. For the employee, they ensure 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 to prevent occupational risks and ensure the health of employees.

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

Notifications and disciplinary sanctions

Transparent management of notifications and disciplinary sanctions is essential. Document each offence and action taken accurately, detailing the nature of the offence and the evidence. This ensures fairness and prevents legal disputes. HRIS integrations centralise and secure these records, reinforcing compliance. 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, as they prove compliance with legal obligations and avoid financial penalties.

For the employee, they ensure entitlement to 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.

Summaries of professional interviews

The summaries of the professional interviews summarise the discussions between the employer and the employee on their career path, skills and development prospects.

• For the employee, they provide a clear vision of professional development and career opportunities.
• For the company, they make it possible to monitor skills development and anticipate training needs. These documents are proof of compliance with career management obligations.

Employee travel data

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

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

For the company, this information is essential for managing expenses, ensuring the safety of employees on business trips and optimising resources.

The personnel file: a strategic asset

Although not compulsory, the personnel file is a powerful strategic tool. It centralises all the important information on each employee, enabling decisions to be made quickly and documented.

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 records
8. Other information such as work permits.

Which registers are compulsory or optional for companies?

1. Single personnel register

This register lists, in order of recruitment, 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,
• dates of entry and exit,
• and the type of contract.

These details must be kept for five years after the employee leaves.

2. Single 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. Register of public health and environmental alerts

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

4. Register of questions from the Social and Economic Committee (CSE)

This contains written requests from CSE members and the employer's reasoned replies. This register is compulsory 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 made available to members of the CSE and to the Labour Inspectorate.

6. Special weekly rest register

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

7. Register or table organising shift work

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

8. Register of safety checks and inspections

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

9. Register of home workers' accounts

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

How long must HR documents be kept?

Documents relating to employment contracts and remuneration

• Employment contracts, amendments and agreements: must 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 contributions and tax

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

Documents relating to working hours

• Recording of employees' working hours, on-call time and compensation: to be kept for 1 year.
• Monitoring of days worked by employees under fixed-price agreements: to be kept for 3 years.

Documents relating to health and safety

• Occupational accident declarations to the CPAM: to be kept for 5 years from the date of the accident.
• Observations and formal notices from the Labour Inspectorate: to be kept for 5 years.

Compulsory registers

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

Documents relating to performance reviews

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

Employees' personal data

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR) , employees' personal data must be kept only for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it is to be processed. Once this purpose has been achieved, the data must be deleted or made anonymous.

HR documents and dematerialisation: the challenges for companies

Dematerialisation is revolutionising HR management through the agility and efficiency it brings. It involves converting your physical documents into digital format, optimising your internal processes.

The benefits include

• reduces administrative costs
• improves information accessibility and supports your legal compliance,
• centralises your documents on a digital platform for fast searching, 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 dematerialising. Use advanced encryption, multi-factor authentication and strict access protocols, particularly for sensitive data. Ensure that data is archived in accordance with legal standards, with regular back-ups. Automating the monitoring of retention periods reduces human error.

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

Tools and advice for better document management in human resources

The first thing that springs to mind is HRIS solutions, which centralise your HR data, improving access and management. They integrate all your information in one place for greater collaboration and accuracy. So you can reduce processing times and minimise errors.

But you can also automate the creation of contracts, payslips and holiday management. This relieves your teams of repetitive tasks, optimises 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 recruited 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 recruited, documents such as the employment contract, the pre-employment declaration (DPAE) and the mutual insurance affiliation documents are essential to formalise the contractual relationship and ensure legal compliance.

During the period of employment, keeping up-to-date pay slips, timesheets, medical check-ups 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 leaves the company, whether through resignation, redundancy or retirement, it is compulsory to provide documents such as the employment certificate, the Pôle emploi certificate and the final pay receipt. These documents certify the end of the contractual relationship and make it easier for the employee to take further steps.

Efficient management of these documents, respecting the legal retention periods, is essential to ensure the company's compliance and optimise human resources management. The dematerialisation of HR documents, while guaranteeing their security and accessibility, is a modern solution for meeting these requirements.