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Employee Time Cards

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Last Updated on September 9, 2019 / Recordkeeping

Question:

How long should you keep employee time cards?

Answer:

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, you are required to keep such records for at least three years from time of creation. However, we recommend that personnel records, including payroll records and employee time cards, be kept for seven years from the date the record is made or the date of termination, whichever is longer. That way, if you are subject to an IRS audit (which could go back seven years), you have this supporting documentation available upon request.

If you’re currently using a paper timekeeping system and you don’t want to store that much paper around the office for seven years, you can scan paper documents for electronic storage. Just make sure you have a reliable and secure method for storing this sensitive information and are able to access it as needed.

Thank you to the HR Pros on our HR Support Center for this question of the week.

 

Recordkeeping can be a daunting task, especially when you are trying to clean out old records and keep handy the pertinent ones. Keeping track of all the paper is extremely challenging. Strategic HR understands your frustration and has many tried-and-trusted tips on recordkeeping. Visit our Recordkeeping page to learn more about getting your employment records in order.