HR Record Retention Requirements

FINLAND

DOCUMENTS

RETENTION PERIOD
(minimum and/or maximum)

BEGINNING OF  RETENTION PERIOD

LEGAL REFERENCE

EMPLOYMENT RECORDS

Contracts
(new hire agreements, severance, etc.)

Contracts minimum - 10 years (in case certificate of employment is requested)

From termination

Employment Contracts Act (55/2001)

Time records (work hours, rest periods, vacation/sick/ holiday, etc.)

1. Notes and documentation relating to payroll minimum - 6 years

2. Motor vehicle drivers' personal driver's logs minimum - 1 year

3. Working hours register min. - 2 years

4. Holiday records min. - 2 years

1. From end of fiscal year


2. From date driver's records are submitted to employer

3. From termination

4. From termination

1. Accounting Act (1336/1997, Chapter 2, Section 10)

2 & 3. Working Hours Act (605/1996, Chapter 7 & 8)




4. Annual Holidays Act (162/2005, Sec. 29 & 34)

Performance records (reviews, promotions/
demotions, licenses/certs., investigations, disciplinary actions, etc.)

Performance records minimum - 5 years (in case certificate of employment is requested)

From termination

Employment Contracts Act (55/2001)

Data and personnel files

Maximum - 2 years (if there is no need to retain the data for a longer period)

From termination

Employment Contracts Act (55/2001); The Finnish Data Protection Authority's non-binding recommendation

Government verification records (work papers, immigration, eligibility to work, etc.)

Alien records minimum - 4 years

From termination

Aliens Act (301/2004, Section 86a)

Collective bargaining/union

May be retained permanently, provided that the data does not include personal data

From end of recording

Best practice

Background checks and drug tests

Background check maximum - 6 months

Drug test - Delete immediately when no longer necessary for the purpose the data was collected

From receiving the results of the test or check

Act on Background Checks (726/2014, Section 45);
Act on the Protection of Privacy in Working Life
(759/2004)

Acknowledgements, policy agreements and required notices

May be retained permanently, provided that the data does not include personal data

From creation

Best practice

Recruitment (interview notes, resumes/CVs, reference checks, etc.)

Max. - Only as long as necessary for the recruitment process (i.e. the collection purpose)

From creation

Best practice

EMPLOYMENT RECORDS (continued)

Tracking/recordings (biometric, geo-location, online tracking, camera recordings, etc.)

Camera recordings maximum - Only as long as necessary and no longer than 1 year, unless there's an approved exception, such as an unfinished harassment investigation

From end of recording

Act on the Protection of Privacy in Working Life
(759/2004, Section 17)

List of young workers

The list must be up-to-date and the outdated information should be deleted immediately

From recruitment or from employment

 Young Workers’ Act (998/1993, Chapter 4)

BENEFIT/PENSION/EQUITY RECORDS

Benefits
(plan documents, enrollment records)

1. For information part of accounting material minimum - 10 years

2. For other documents no specific requirements; as long as necessary

1. From end of fiscal year


2. From collection

Accounting Act (1336/1997, Chapter 2, Section 10)

Pension and retirement records

1. Insurance records minimum - 10 years

2. For information part of accounting material minimum - 6 years

1. End of validity of insurance policy

2. From end of fiscal year

1. Insurance Contracts Act (543/1994)

2. Employees Pensions Act (395/2006)

Equity records

No specific requirements; as long as necessary

N/A

N/A

PAYROLL/WAGE/TAX RECORDS

Payroll and wage data (payslips, etc.)

Payroll records minimum - 10 years

Notes and supplemental documentation relating to payroll minimum - 6 years

From end of fiscal year

Accounting Act 1336/1997 (Chapter 2, Section 10);
Employment Contracts Act (55/2001, Chapter 13);
Prepayment Act (1118/1996)

Tax records

Minimum - 10 years

From end of fiscal year

Accounting Act (1336/1997, Chapter 2, Section 10)

MEDICAL/SAFETY/LEAVE RECORDS

Leave (family, medical, etc.)

1. Notes and supplemental documentation relating to payroll minimum - 6 years

2. Holiday records minimum - 2 years

1. From end of fiscal year




2. From termination

Accounting Act (1336/1997, Chapter 2, Section 10);
Working Hours Act (605/1996, Chapter 7 & 8);
Annual Holidays Act (162/2005, Section 29 & 34)

Injury and illness incident reports

Minimum - 10 years  (based on limitation concerning bodily injury caused to an employee is ten years)

From incident

Employment Contracts Act (55/2001)

Medical records

As medical records constitute
sensitive data, they shall be erased immediately when they are no longer necessary for the purpose they were collected. The Finnish Data Protection Authority has recommended that medical records are retained maximum - 2 years

From recording

Personal Data Act (523/1999);
The Finnish Data Protection Authority's non-binding recommendation

Hazardous material and other exposure records

1. List of employees exposed to biological agents minimum - 40 or 10 years depending on the agent

2. List of employees exposed to carcinogens (the ASA Register) minimum - 80 years

From end of exposure

1. Occupational Safety and Health Act (738/2002)



2. Act on Respecting a Registry of Employees Exposed in Their Work to Carcinogenic Agents and Substances (717/2001)