HR document scanning - Access Records Management

The HR department performs a vital business function, managing recruitment and development strategies in support of company growth and success. HR is also responsible for overseeing operational health and safety measures, employment terms and remuneration.

This creates an enormous volume of paperwork that needs to be stored somewhere secure.

Not only do these documents need to be kept safe, they also need to be easily accessible. Many of these records are critical to ensure compliance which is why businesses typically store them on-site. However, boxes and filing cabinets take a up a lot of office space and are not always maintained in an orderly fashion.

HR document scanning is the sensible and safe solution. However, trying to manage the process of digitising documents in-house can be laborious and time-consuming.

HR document scanning: which records should you scan?

To keep things simple, the best approach is to make a digital copy of any record that relates to your people and operations. Here are some of the key documents that you should definitely scan.

Health and safety records: in the event of a workplace accident, injury, or other health and safety issue, there will be an assessment and a report. You will need to keep these records permanently. In terms of medical records, any documents specified by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations, must be kept for up to 40 years.

Wage, salary and employment records: the Income Tax (Employments) Regulation stipulates that all income tax documentation must be kept for no less than three years after the relevant financial year. This includes all records of overtime, bonuses, and expenses. This protects the business in the event of a tax issue or an underpayment claim.

Accounting records: keeping meticulous records of company accounts should be standard business practice. There are also statutory retention periods, per Section 221 of the Companies Act 1985 (as modified by the Companies Acts 1989 and 2006). If you’re running a private company, you’ll need to keep these documents for three years.

In situations where there is no legal requirement determining a document’s retention period, you will have to decide when to destroy it. However, it is recommended that pension records, for example, are kept for twelve years from the end of any benefit payable under your company’s scheme.

Every business will have different needs. Use your judgement and consult with your peers to determine non-statutory retention periods. If faced with extreme uncertainty, err on the side of caution and keep the documents in question for at least six years – five if your business is based in Scotland. This typically covers the time limit for any civil legal action – though specific legal/HR advice relate to your business’s circumstances should be sought.

The benefits of HR document scanning

HR document scanning can either reduce your need for office space and save you money, or free up much-needed office space for other use. Digital storage makes it much easier for employees to find the documents they need and it can keep your documents far safer thanks to security measures like encryption.

What’s more, HR document scanning services are ideal for globally connected businesses that need to share files at a moment’s notice. By digitising their documents, they can send files to multiple locations all at once with very little cost. They can choose to either destroy the originals or hold the paper copies in archive storage.

Why work with Access Records Management?

Access Records Management has a range of document scanning solutions to suit your needs. Our bulk document scanning service, for example, can take care of all your backlog. Or, we can index your documents according to your preferred format. And our scan-on-demand service is great for quick and efficient electronic retrieval of boxed documents already held in secure document storage – you contact us to let us know which hard copy you want scanned, and we retrieve, scan and securely send it to you.

Our HR document scanning services digitise your business-critical documents for safe-keeping and accessibility. We also ensure competitive document management pricing that is tailored to meet your business requirements.

If you’d like to know more about our cost-effective and efficient HR document scanning service, contact our experts today.

Thanks ever so much for your assistance in getting the transfer of our Archive boxes completed safely within our deadline.
National High Street FX Company
The gentleman that you sent across to collect the documents was amazing, and the entire process was easy and seamless, from start to finish.
Electronics Manufacturer, Hampshire
Wow you guys are so efficient!
London Office Promotions Company
Extremely pleased with Access on their performance levels, consistency, quality of work and the wiliness to go the extra mile which has been a good contribution to our company. In summary I would definitely recommend Access to any other Companies to use as their approved Supplier.
Independent Schools Foundation
We have been using Access Records Management for a number of years for our archiving needs in our London office. We have always found them to be courteous and very helpful. The service we receive is always prompt and efficient. I would have no hesitation in recommending this company to others.
Office Interiors Company
We have dealt with Access Self Storage Limited since 2002 as our archive offsite storage company. We can recommend their very efficient service of both collecting our boxes for storage and their swift response to our email requests for boxes to he returned from storage.
Central London Luxury Hotel Group
We have used the Access Storage facility for a number of years and have always been happy with the service we have received, our collections and returns are always dealt with in a timely manner. We have found the company to be very organised and all of the staff we have dealt with have been extremely helpful and efficient.
City of London Accountants
I write with regards to the service you have provided to our organisation over a number of years. During this time frame your service has always been both prompt and professional; your staff have always demonstrated the highest level of competence and customer care. Your service delivery is of the highest quality and I have no hesitation in recommending your services to others. At no point have I had reason to doubt the level of security, professionalism and quality of service that you have provided to us as an organisation and I am pleased to continue our working relationship.
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