HR Record Retention Requirements

NORWAY

DOCUMENTS

RETENTION PERIOD
(minimum and/or maximum)

BEGINNING OF  RETENTION PERIOD

LEGAL REFERENCE

EMPLOYMENT RECORDS

Contracts (new hire agreements, severance, etc.)

Minimum 3.5 years

After end of fiscal year to which records relate

Bookkeeping Act (Lov om bokføring), Sec. 11 - Documentation of the balance etc.,  § 13, 2004

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

Minimum 3.5 years

After end of fiscal year to which records relate

Bookkeeping Act (Lov om bokføring), Sec. 11 - Documentation of the balance etc.,  § 13, 2004;
Regulation on Bookkeeping (Bokføringsforskriften), Sec. 5-6

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

General: minimum 1-3 years

Internal investigations: Delete after reasonable time during employment, based on a concrete assessment

Termination of employment agreement

Best practice based on local legislation;
Claims generally time-barred after 3 years

Data and personnel files

Applicants who are not hired: Retain until conclusion of hiring process. Consider retaining for 1 - 3 years;

Employees: General minimum 1-3 years; Internal investigations - Delete after reasonable time during employment, based on a concrete assessment

Applicants who are not hired: From end of hiring process.

Employees: From termination of employment

Best practice based on local legislation;
Claims generally time-barred after 3 years

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

General: minimum 1-3 years;

Internal investigations: Delete after reasonable time during employment, based on a concrete assessment

Termination of employment agreement

Best practice based on local legislation;
Claims generally time-barred after 3 years

Collective bargaining/union

No maximum/minimum retention period for Collective Bargaining Agreements

N/A

Background checks and drug tests

Drug testing/storing: Not permitted by local legislation

Background checks: Only allowed when permitted by law (by obtaining print outs from police records). Storage of related police record/transcript is not allowed.

N/A

Law on processing of information in the police and prosecutor's office (Police Registry Act - politiregisterloven)

Acknowledgements, policy agreements and required notices

General: minimum 1-3 years;

Internal investigations: Delete after reasonable time during employment, based on a concrete assessment

Termination of employment agreement

Best practice based on local legislation;
Claims generally time-barred after 3 years

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

Applicants who are not hired: Retain until conclusion of hiring process. Consider retaining for 1 - 3 years;

Employees: General minimum 1-3 years; Internal investigations - Delete after reasonable time during employment, based on a concrete assessment

Applicants who are not hired: From end of hiring process.

Employees: From termination of employment

Best practice based on local legislation;
Claims generally time-barred after 3 years

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

Tracking/recording employee or workspace: Usually not permitted, when allowed under Working Environment Act retain until purpose is fulfilled

Camera recordings: Max. 7 days, unless contains data (e.g. criminal activities) which requires extended storage (max. 30 days), Longer storage may be allowed under GDPR if documented need

E-mails stored in employee's account:  Generally maximum 6 months after termination. Company-related emails should be stored in another place where remains available for employer.

From recording

Norwegian Working Environment Act, Ch. 9 and GDPR for control measures. Camera recording: The Norwegian Regulations on employers recording in the workplace;

Camera recordings & log data: Recommendation by Norwegian Data Protection Authority;

E-mails: The Norwegian Regulations on employer's access to e-mailbox and other electronically stored material;

BENEFIT/PENSION/EQUITY RECORDS

Benefits (plan documents, enrollment records)

For economic benefits: Minimum 5 years

After end of fiscal year to which records relate

Bookkeeping Act (Lov om bokføring), Sec. 11 - Documentation of the balance etc.,  § 13, 2004

Pension records

Minimum 5 years

After end of fiscal year to which records relate

Bookkeeping Act (Lov om bokføring), Sec. 11 - Documentation of the balance etc.,  § 13, 2004

Equity records

General: As long as individuals own equity

Payments to shareholder: Minimum 5 years

General: Upon disposal of the equity

Payments: After end of fiscal year to which records relate

Equity records: Norwegian Public Limited Liability Companies Act, § 4-2 (Shareholder register);
Bookkeeping Act (Lov om bokføring), Sec. 11 - Documentation of the balance etc.,  § 13, 2004

Other economic compensation

For economic benefits: Minimum 5 years

After end of fiscal year to which records relate

Bookkeeping Act (Lov om bokføring), Sec. 11 - Documentation of the balance etc.,  § 13, 2004

PAYROLL/WAGE/TAX RECORDS

Payroll and wage data (payslips, etc.)

Mandatory accounting documents and reports: Minimum 5 years

Secondary documents, including agreements relating to the business (excluding agreements of minor importance) and correspondence that provides significant additional info. in connection with recorded information: Minimum 3.5 years

After end of fiscal year to which records relate

Bookkeeping Act (Lov om bokføring), Sec. 11 - Documentation of the balance etc.,  § 13, 2004

Tax records

Mandatory accounting documents and reports: Minimum 5 years

Secondary documents, including agreements relating to the business (excluding agreements of minor importance) and correspondence that provides significant additional info. in connection with recorded information: Minimum 3.5 years

After end of fiscal year to which records relate

Bookkeeping Act (Lov om bokføring), Sec. 11 - Documentation of the balance etc.,  § 13, 2004

MEDICAL/SAFETY/LEAVE RECORDS

Leave (family, medical, etc.)

General: minimum 1-3 years

Internal investigations: Delete after reasonable time during employment, based on a concrete assessment

Termination of employment agreement

Best practice based on local legislation;
Claims generally time-barred after 3 years

Injury and illness incident reports

Retain until  purpose of processing is fulfilled

From date of report/registry

Best practice based on GDPR;
Working Environment Act § 5-1 and § 5-2

Medical records

Employer cannot legally process medical records. Only limited health data is permitted, such as sick leave, or workplace injury and illness reports/registration.

N/A

Hazardous material and other exposure records

Register of exposure to ionizing radiation: Until employee reaches 75 years of age and for at least 30 years

From end of radiation exposure

Regulation on radiation protection and use of radiation (radiation protection regulation), Ch. 4, § 34, 2016