Scanning HR and Employee Files: What to Keep, How to Organize It
By: USA IMAGING, Inc.
If your HR department is still managing employee records in overstuffed file cabinets and folders, you’re not alone. Many HR teams are behind on digitization—not because they don’t want to go paperless, but because they don’t know where to start.
The good news? Scanning HR and personnel files is easier than you think—and the long-term benefits in compliance, efficiency, and organization are hard to ignore.
Here’s a practical guide on what to keep, what to toss, and how to digitize your HR records the right way.
📁 Why HR Document Scanning Matters
HR files contain sensitive and high-value information:
Legal documents
Tax and payroll records
Disciplinary actions
Medical records
Confidential agreements
Paper files are vulnerable to:
Loss or misfiling
Physical damage (fire, flood, mold)
Unauthorized access
Compliance issues with retention laws
Digitizing your HR documents improves security, accessibility, and audit-readiness—and saves serious time in day-to-day operations.
✅ What Employee Documents Should You Scan?
Here’s a checklist of commonly scanned HR documents:
Category Examples:
Employment
Offer letters, job applications, resumes, background checks
Tax & Payroll
W-4s, direct deposit forms, garnishment notices
Performance
Reviews, disciplinary actions, commendations
Benefits
Enrollment forms, health insurance waivers, COBRA notices
Legal & Compliance
I-9s, signed policies, NDAs, harassment training records
Separation
Exit interviews, termination letters, final pay info
Keep separate files for medical records, which are protected under HIPAA and should not be stored with general personnel files.
🗂️ How to Organize HR Files After Scanning
We recommend organizing by employee name > file category > year, like this:
/Employees/Johnson_Jane/Performance/2023_Performance_Review.pdf /Employees/Smith_Tom/Payroll/2022_W4.pdf /Employees/Mendez_Clara/Benefits/2021_Health_Enrollment.pdf
Naming files clearly and consistently makes it easy to:
Search by employee or document type
Share records securely with managers or auditors
Comply with retention and deletion policies
🔒 Stay Compliant with Retention Requirements
Different HR records have different timelines:
I-9 Forms – Retain for 3 years after hire or 1 year after termination
Payroll Records – Keep for at least 4 years
Medical Records – 6 years under HIPAA
Hiring Records – 1–2 years depending on company size and location
By scanning now, you can set up automated retention schedules and eliminate the guesswork later.
📦 USA Imaging Makes It Easy
We help HR teams scan, index, and organize their files with:
Confidential handling & chain of custody documentation
High-resolution scanning with OCR for text search
Custom folder structures and file naming
Secure delivery via encrypted drive or cloud
HIPAA, FERPA, and employment law compliance
Need to prep 10 boxes or 100? We’ve got you covered—with zero disruption to your HR workflow.
📞 Let’s Modernize Your HR Department
Stop wasting time digging through drawers. Let’s get your HR files scanned, secure, and organized for the future.
Call USA Imaging at (858) 513-6565
Email: [email protected]
or Request a Quote today.
