This audio conference was recorded on Friday - May 8, 2009

Credits:

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org. The use of this seal is not an endorsement by HRCI of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met HRCI’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification.

Description:

Document, document, document. That’s the #1 piece of advice many HR directors swear by to ensure compliance with workplace policies and shield their organizations from lawsuits.

In everyday practice, however, that rule generates paper – lots of it. From applications and wage and hour records to benefits paperwork and progressive discipline paper trails, the average HR office is bursting with thousands - even millions - of pieces of paper. Electronic recordkeeping has only made matters worse, as employers try to decipher the rules for filing and protecting e-records while figuring out what to do with the hard copies.

And, if you shred, delete, or lose the wrong file at the wrong time, you could find yourself in major legal trouble.

Order this informative audio conference recording, when our expert (an experienced employment attorney who regularly advises clients on these issues) will explain the legal do's and don’ts of collecting, storing, and disposing of paper and electronic HR files. You’ll learn what forms and records should be kept in each worker’s file – and how long you should keep those items. You’ll also receive practical tips for reviewing your HR files on a regular schedule and keeping them organized and up to date.

Speaker(s):

Jay M. Dade, Esq., is of counsel with the Springfield, Missouri, office of law firm Polsinelli Shughart, PC. He is an experienced labor and employment lawyer who counsels clients on day-to-day personnel management and union-management issues, ranging from HR recordkeeping duties and wage-hour matters to leave requests, discrimination claims, and union organizing activities. Dade has defended clients in federal and state courts and before numerous administrative agencies. He also provides management training programs and writes and speaks extensively on employment law issues. He earned his law degree from the University of Missouri.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• The records you must collect and maintain throughout each worker’s employment history – and how long you need to hang onto them
• How to handle sensitive HR information – such as medical records or immigration forms – that may require special handling
• The legal pros and cons of storing HR documents electronically (and the best methods for keeping these files safe and secure)
• Which records you must be prepared to produce if you’re hit with claims from disgruntled or terminated workers, from bias complaints to harassment lawsuits and beyond
• Your obligations when employees, supervisors, attorneys, or government officials ask to see your HR files
• How to train your supervisors to document correctly (and which notes or records they should be allowed to keep in their own files)
• Best practices for reviewing and culling your HR files, including a timetable for how long you should retain common types of HR documents
• How to determine when it’s safe to scan a document and trash the paper original
• The safest ways to get rid of paper and electronic HR records that you no longer need (and the questions to ask yourself before you shred or delete those records)