HR Record Retention Requirements

SWITZERLAND

DOCUMENTS

RETENTION PERIOD

START OF THE RETENTION PERIOD

RELEVANT LAW REFERENCE

EMPLOYMENT/PENSION RECORDS

Employment contract

10 years

Termination of employment contract

Art. 127 OR; expiry of the limitation period for
claims arising from the employment contract

Business data and documents concerning pension schemes and related subjects
Administration regarding pension scheme (by pension administrator and pension association)

Minimum 10 years

End of the obligation to perform
pension benefits

Art. 27i para. 1 and para Ordinance on Occupational
Retirement, Survivors’ and Disability Pensions
(Verordnung über die berufliche Alters-,
Hinterlassenen- und Invalidenvorsorge, BVV 2)

PAYROLL AND SALARY RECORDS

Administration of wages, including tax-exempt reimbursements

Minimum 10 years

Expiry of the calendar year in which the document was created

Art. 126 para. 3 DBG in conjunction with Art. 958f OR
Applicable only to certain categories of employees

Payroll records (wages, tax and social security records, pay slips,
overtime compensation, bonuses, expenses, benefits in kind)

Minimum 10 years

Expiry of the calendar year in which the document was created

Art. 958f para. 1 Code of Obligations (Obligationenrecht, OR)

Severance pay records (e.g. notification to and consent of the competent authorities regarding dismissal, decisions of the court regarding dismissal, correspondence with the competent authorities regarding dismissal, outplacement records, calculations of termination payments)

Minimum 10 years

Expiry of the calendar year in which the document was created

Art. 958f para. 1 Code of Obligations (Obligationenrecht, OR)

MEDICAL/HEALTH RECORDS

Medical files, medical documents in cases of a medical treatment contract

Minimum 10 years

From last treatment

Health care legislation of the Cantons

Floor plans and directions

Minimum 5 years

From the end of validity

Art. 73 para. 2 Ordinance No 1 to the Labour Act (Verordnung 1 zum Arbeitsgesetz, ArGV 1) in conjunction with Ordinance No 4 to the Labor Act (Verordnung 4 zum Arbeitsgesetz, ArGV 4)

Register of employees who work with 3rd and 4th category biological agents

Minimum 10 years

Last exposure

Art. 13 para 2 and 3 Ordinance on the Protection of Workers from Risks related to Exposure to Biological Agents at Work (Verordnung uber den Schutz der Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer vor Gefährdung durch Mikroorganismen, SAMV)

Administration concerning measurements of radioactive substances
and the results of these measurements

2 years

From the transmission of data to the Central Dose Registry of the Federal Office of Public Health

Art. 50 para. 1 of the Radiation Protection
Ordinance (Strahlenschutzverordnung, StSV)

Records of radiation

2 years

From the transmission of data to the Central Dose Registry of the Federal Office of Public Health

Art. 50 para. 1 StSV

TYPE OF DOCUMENTS LIKELY TO BE ALSO SUBJECT TO A MAXIMUM RETENTION PERIOD BASED ON DATA PROTECTION LAWS

Registration of work and rest periods (in appropriate format) for professional drivers

3 years





2 years

Creation of the records

Art. 18 para. 3 Ordinance on Work and Rest Periods of Professional Drivers (Verordnung uber die Arbeits- und Ruhezeit der berufsmässigen Motorfahrzeugführer und -führerinnen, ARV 1)

Art. 23 para. 3 Ordinance on Work and Rest Periods
of Professional Drivers of Light Vehicles for Transportation
of Passengers and Heavy Cars (Verordnung uber die Arbeits- und Ruhezeit der berufsmässigen Führer von leichten Personentransportfahrzeugen und schweren Personenwagen, ARV 2)

Personal data of employees in network systems, computer systems,
communication equipment used by employees, access controls and
other internal management/administration

1 year

From creation of the records

Art. 10 para. 2 Ordinance to the Federal Act on Data Protection (Verordnung zum Bundesgesetz
uber den Datenschutz, VDSG)

Camera recordings

Camera recordings should be deleted after expiry of a retention period of 24 hours

From creation of the records

Guidelines by the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner