Compare record retention requirements for up to four countries on the comparison summary chart page. 🔍
Document
Retention Period
Beginning of Retention Period
Legal Reference
EMPLOYMENT RECORDS
Contracts (new hire agreements, severance, etc.)
No longer than necessary for achieving the purposes for which the personal data was collected or subsequently processed; Best practice: maximum - 2 years after termination (No statutory minimum)
End of employment
GDPR & best practice
Time records (work hours, rest periods, vacation/sick/holiday, etc.)
Minimum - 52 weeks (No maximum other than mentioned in Article 5(1)(e) GDPR)
Creation of record
Article 3.2:1 Working hours decree ('Arbeidstijdenbesluit')
Performance records (performance reviews, promotions/demotions, licenses/certifications, investigations, disciplinary actions, etc.)
No longer than necessary for achieving the purposes for which the personal data was collected or subsequently processed; Best practice: maximum - 2 years after termination (No statutory minimum)
End of contract or end of employment
Article 5(1)(e) GDPR & best practice
Data and personnel files
No longer than necessary for achieving the purposes for which the personal data was collected or subsequently processed; Best practice: maximum - 2 years after termination (No statutory minimum)
End of contract or end of employment
Article 5(1)(e) GDPR & best practice
Government verification records (work papers, immigration, eligibility to work, etc.)
Copy of government ID: minimum 5 calendar years after end of employment (No maximum other than mentioned in Article 5(1)(e) GDPR)
End of contract or end of employment
Article 15 (4) Foreign National Employment Act ('Wet arbeid vreemdelingen') & Article 28 Wage withholding Tax Act ('Wet op de Loonbeslasting") Confirmed; Handbook on Payroll Taxes 2.2
Collective bargaining/union
No recommended retention period
N/A
N/A
Background checks and drug tests
No longer than necessary for achieving the purposes for which the personal data was collected or subsequently processed; Best practices: Applicants: 4 weeks or 1 year in case of consent; Hired employees: As long as necessary for the purpose. Best practice maximum 2 years (No statutory minimum)
Background checks on applicants: End of selection procedure; Background checks on employees: End of contract or end of employment
Article 5(1)(e) GDPR & best practice
Acknowledgements, policy agreements and required notices
No longer than necessary for achieving the purposes for which the personal data was collected or subsequently processed; Best practice: maximum - 2 years after termination (No statutory minimum)
End of contract or end of employment
Article 5(1)(e) GDPR & best practice
Recruitment (interview notes, resumes/CVs, reference checks, etc.)
Applicant who is not hired: Maximum 4 weeks after end of application procedure, unless receive permission from individual to keep data longer, in which case can keep 1 year after termination of application procedure (No statutory minimum); Hired employee: no longer than necessary for achieving the purposes for which the personal data was collected or subsequently processed (No statutory minimum)
End of selection procedure
Article 5(1)(e) GDPR & best practice
Tracking/recordings (biometric, geo-location, online tracking, camera recordings, etc.)
No longer than necessary for achieving the purposes for which the personal data was collected or subsequently processed; Best Practices: Camera recordings: maximum of 4 weeks (can be longer if there is a specific incident). Note: Use of camera recordings is very limited; Log files, computer systems, e-mail and internet monitoring: max. 6 months to 2 years after ending employment (No statutory minimum)
Upon recording
Article 5(1)(e) GDPR & best practice
Miscellaneous 1
Data on employee ethnicity and origin: Minimum 5 years
End of employment
Act on stimulation labor participation by Minorities ('Wet stimulering Arbeidsdeelnamen Minderheden - Wet Samen')
BENEFIT/PENSION/EQUITY RECORDS
Benefits (plan documents, enrollment records)
No longer than necessary for achieving the purposes for which the personal data was collected or subsequently processed; Best practice: maximum - 2 years after termination (No statutory minimum)
End of contract or end of employment
Article 5(1)(e) GDPR & best practice
Pension and retirement records
At least 7 years after the financial year to which records relate (No statutory maximum)
End of the financial year to which records relate
Article 169 Pension Act
Equity records
Accounting, administration and finance documents (e.g. annual accounts, profit and loss accounts, debtors and creditors administration, inventory records, salary administration): minimum 7 years (No statutory maximum)
End of the financial year to which records relate
Article 2:394 (6) & Article 2:10 & 3:15i BW Dutch Civil Code
PAYROLL/WAGE/TAX RECORDS
Payroll and wage data (payslips, etc.)
Payroll related personal data for payroll tax statements (such as birthdate, name, address, place of residence, telephone number and citizen service number): minimum 5 calendar years; Otherwise: minimum 7 years (No statutory maximum for both)
Payroll related data: End of calendar year to which records relate; Other documents: End of financial year to which records relate
Article 28 Wage Withholding Tax Act ('Wet op de Loonbeslasting'); Algemene wet inzake rijksbelastingen, Article 52-4 ('State Taxes Act'); Article 7.5, Uitvoeringsregeling LB 2011
Tax records
Minimum 7 years (No statutory maximum)
End of the financial year to which records relate
Algemene wet inzake rijksbelastingen, Article 52-4 (State Taxes Act)
Miscellaneous 1
Decisions or certificates received from employees: No longer than necessary for achieving the purposes for which the personal data was collected or subsequently processed; Best practice: maximum - 2 years after termination (No statutory minimum)
End of employment or contract
Article 5(1)(e) GDPR & best practice
Miscellaneous 2
Wage garnishments: No longer than necessary for achieving the purposes for which the personal data was collected or subsequently processed; Best practice: Wage garnishment records have to be erased directly after the garnishment is lifted
From receipt of garnishment
Best practice; Article 475 Code of Civil Procedure
MEDICAL/SAFETY/LEAVE RECORDS
Leave (family, medical, etc.)
No longer than necessary for achieving the purposes for which the personal data was collected or subsequently processed; Best practice: maximum - 2 years after termination (No statutory minimum)
End of employment or contract
Article 5(1)(e) GDPR & best practice
Injury and illness incident reports
No longer than necessary for achieving the purposes for which the personal data was collected or subsequently processed; Best practice: maximum 2 years after termination (No statutory minimum). However, in case of claims/insurances etc. this period might be longer
Date of injury/incident
Article 5(1)(e) GDPR & best practice & Article 7:454 Wet op de Geneeskundige Behandelingsovereenkomst ('Medical Treatment Contracts Act')
Medical records
No longer than necessary for achieving the purposes for which the personal data was collected/subsequently processed; Best practices: Employer related records: maximum 2 years after termination (No statutory minimum); Reintegration file (long-term illness): No statutory (minimum and/or maximum) period. Recommended maximun 2 years after completion of reintegration. If reintegration file contains permanent agreements, these agreements are kept longer and can be kept in the employee's personnel file
End of employment or contract
Best Practice & Beleidsregels voor de verwerking van persoonsgegevens over de gezondheid van zieke werknemers (Policy rules for the processing of personal data on the health of sick employees)
Hazardous material and other exposure records
Medical exam records relating to exposure to hazardous substances; list of employees who have been or may be exposed to carcinogenic or mutagenic substances; and registers relating to asbestos exposure: minimum 40 years after last exposure (No statutory maximum); Registers relating to biological agent exposure (category 3 & 4): minimum 10 years but not more than 40 years after date of last exposure
From date of exposure
Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit (Working Conditions Decree, 4.10c; 4.15; 4.53 paragraph 1, 4.9)
Miscellaneous 1
Absence records in case of self-insurance status (eigenrisicodragerschap): Employer records: minimum 5 years (No statutory maximum)
January 1 of the year following the year in which the last action was taken on the file
Article 3(2) Regeling werkzaamheden administratieve voorschriften en kosten eigenrisicodragen ZW
Ultimate Software's HR Compliance Assist team relies on a network of internal and external compliance experts and lawyers to provide clients with best practices and recommendations on topics such as HR document retention, employee data privacy, and HR electronic records. HR Compliance Assist also provides local compliance monitoring and alert services in select countries where Ultimate Software's customers have employees. HR Compliance Assist is a service exclusively available to Ultimate Software customers.
