Privacy · HR glossary

Data Retention Policy

A data retention policy states how long categories of information are kept and how they are deleted or archived. Retention should reflect legal requirements and legitimate operational needs.

Example

An employer assigns different retention periods to payroll records and unsuccessful applications, with a process to review exceptions such as a legal hold.

What to keep in mind

Keeping everything indefinitely increases risk and may breach privacy requirements. Record the reason for each period and ensure backups, suppliers and connected systems are considered in deletion arrangements.

Further reading

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