Introduces the legal issues in the UK around effective retention and organisation of HR records
All organisations collect data relating to their employees.
This factsheet introduces the legal position on the retention of HR records in the UK, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and some changes introduced from April 2026 by the Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA 2025). It offers two checklists: one giving statutory retention periods where these exist, and the other giving recommendations for keeping information.
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Explore our legal resource on data protection, surveillance and privacy in the workplace
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