Retention periods for University personnel records
In order to comply with Data Protection requirements, departments and divisions are asked to ensure that they retain records for the time periods indicated in the table below, but for no longer.
| Type of record | Retention period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Recruitment records (applications, interview notes, etc) | 6 months following an appointment. | In some cases (e.g. where a work permit is required, or where a employment tribunal is in progress it may be necessary to keep records for longer, but they should be destroyed as soon as possible after that time. |
| Sickness records | 3 years after the end of the tax year to which the record relates. | Statutory retention period, compliance is essential. |
| Maternity/Adoption/Paternity leave records | 3 years after the end of the tax year to which the leave period relates. | Statutory retention period, compliance is essential. |
| Parental leave records | 5 years from the birth/adoption of the child. | Extended to 18 years if the child is disabled. |
| Personnel files and training records (including redundancy details) | 6 years after employment ceases. | Including disciplinary and working time records. |
| Wage/salary records | 6 years plus current year (7 years total) | Main payroll records are held by the Payroll section. This is a statutory retention period. |
| For Tiers 2 and 5 work permit holders: copy of passport or UK immigration status document and photocopy or electronic copy of biometric ID card (where the migrant holds one). | 2 years after the employer has ceased sponsoring the migrant. | UKBA requirement, compliance is essential. |