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How long to keep HR records: UK retention periods
43 common HR and payroll records, how long to keep each one, when the clock starts and whether the period is set by law or a recommendation.
Checked 1 October 2026 New: what the six-month tribunal time limit changes
Nothing matches that. Try a shorter word, or ask us on a free call.
- Law A statute or regulation sets the period
- Recommended No fixed legal period; this is the sensible choice and why
- NewUpdated Added or changed for the six-month time limit
New from 1 October 2026
A tribunal claim can now reach you close to a year later
Most employment tribunal claims can now be brought up to six months after the event, up from three. That applies to anything that happens on or after 1 October 2026, such as a dismissal or a rejected job application. For a dismissal, the date that counts is the day employment ends. Anything earlier keeps the three-month limit.
And six months is only the start. Before most claims the employee has to contact Acas, and early conciliation pauses the clock for up to 12 weeks. After the certificate they have at least another month, and then the tribunal still has to send the claim on to you. You may hear from Acas sooner, but only if the employee agrees to Acas contacting you.
Under the old limit, many employers closed the file if nothing had arrived by month four or five. Now the earliest safe point to delete anything linked to a dismissal, grievance or disputed decision is about 12 months. We suggest 15, counted from the decision or from the day employment ends, whichever is later.
What to check now:
- automatic deletion in email, Teams, Slack and WhatsApp. Find out what it is set to, and pause it for the people involved as soon as an issue starts
- CCTV and call recordings that overwrite themselves. Save the clip as soon as you know about an incident
- managers' own notes from disciplinary, grievance and redundancy meetings. Move them into the HR file
- applications and interview notes from candidates you turned down: we now suggest 12 months
Rows we added or changed for this are marked New or Updated. Everything else changing this year is on our employment law changes page.
Employment records
RecordKeep forClock startsBasis
Employment contracts and changes to them6 yearsEnd of employmentRecommendedLimitation Act 1980 (contract claims); UK GDPR storage limitation
Personnel file (general)6 yearsEnd of employmentRecommendedLimitation Act 1980; UK GDPR storage limitation
Appraisals and performance reviews6 yearsEnd of employmentRecommendedLimitation Act 1980
Disciplinary records6 yearsEnd of employmentRecommendedLimitation Act 1980. Keep live warnings on file only for their stated period
Grievance records6 yearsEnd of employmentRecommendedLimitation Act 1980
Training records6 yearsEnd of employmentRecommendedLimitation Act 1980
References given6 yearsDate of the referenceRecommendedLimitation Act 1980
Right to work checksFor the whole of employment and 2 years afterEnd of employmentLawImmigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006; Home Office employer guidance
DBS certificate informationUp to 6 months after the recruitment decision, then keep only the date, level, reference and decisionRecruitment decisionRecommendedDBS Code of Practice; Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
Dismissals, grievances and disputes
RecordKeep forClock startsBasis
Managers' notes from disciplinary, grievance, appeal and redundancy meetingsNew6 years. Move them into the HR fileEnd of employmentRecommendedLimitation Act 1980. Notes left in a manager's notebook or inbox are the ones that go missing
Redundancy records: pools, selection scores, consultation notes and payment calculationsNew6 yearsDate of the redundancyRecommendedLimitation Act 1980 (contract claims). Tribunal claims: six months from 1 October 2026 (Employment Rights Act 2025), plus the pause for Acas early conciliation (Employment Rights Act 1996 s207B; Equality Act 2010 s140B)
Messages and emails about a dismissal, grievance or disputed decision, including Teams, Slack and WhatsAppNew15 months at least. Copy anything you rely on into the HR fileThe decision, or the end of employment if laterRecommendedTribunal claims: six months from 1 October 2026 (Employment Rights Act 2025), plus the pause for Acas early conciliation (Employment Rights Act 1996 s207B; Equality Act 2010 s140B)
CCTV and call recordings linked to an incident, complaint or disciplinaryNew15 months at least. Save the clip before the system overwrites itThe outcome, or the end of employment if laterRecommendedTribunal claims: six months from 1 October 2026 (Employment Rights Act 2025), plus the pause for Acas early conciliation (Employment Rights Act 1996 s207B; Equality Act 2010 s140B)
Recruitment records
RecordKeep forClock startsBasis
Applications and CVs from unsuccessful candidatesUpdated12 monthsEnd of the recruitment processRecommendedEquality Act 2010: from 1 October 2026 a candidate has six months to claim, plus the pause for Acas early conciliation. UK GDPR storage limitation
Interview notes for unsuccessful candidatesUpdated12 monthsEnd of the recruitment processRecommendedEquality Act 2010: from 1 October 2026 a candidate has six months to claim, plus the pause for Acas early conciliation. UK GDPR storage limitation
Payroll and financial records
RecordKeep forClock startsBasis
PAYE and payroll records3 years minimum (6 years recommended)End of the tax year they relate toLawIncome Tax (PAYE) Regulations 2003; HMRC guidance
Minimum wage records6 yearsEnd of the pay reference periodLawNational Minimum Wage Act 1998; National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015
Expenses records6 yearsEnd of the tax yearRecommendedHMRC guidance
VAT records6 yearsEnd of the VAT periodLawValue Added Tax Act 1994
Company accounting and Corporation Tax records6 yearsEnd of the accounting periodLawCompanies Act 2006; HMRC Corporation Tax record-keeping
Leave, pay and working time records
RecordKeep forClock startsBasis
Holiday entitlement, holiday taken and holiday pay6 yearsDate each record is made (records from 6 April 2026)LawWorking Time Regulations 1998, as amended by the Employment Rights Act 2025. Not keeping adequate records is an offence
Working time records (48-hour limit and night work)2 yearsDate each record is madeLawWorking Time Regulations 1998, reg 9
Statutory Sick Pay paid, and dates of sickness3 yearsEnd of the tax yearLawHMRC record-keeping for SSP and PAYE
Statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and bereavement pay3 yearsEnd of the tax year the pay period endsLawHMRC record-keeping for statutory payments
Workplace pension (auto-enrolment) records6 yearsDate of the recordLawPensions Act 2008 and the employer duties regulations
Pension opt-out notices4 yearsDate the notice is receivedLawPensions Act 2008 and the employer duties regulations
Health and safety records
RecordKeep forClock startsBasis
Accident book and RIDDOR records3 yearsDate of the entryLawRIDDOR 2013, reg 12; Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979. See the note on young people below
Health surveillance for hazardous substances (COSHH)40 yearsDate of the last entryLawCOSHH Regulations 2002
Asbestos health surveillance and exposure records40 yearsDate of the last entryLawControl of Asbestos Regulations 2012
Lead exposure and medical surveillance records40 yearsDate of the last entryLawControl of Lead at Work Regulations 2002
Radiation dose recordsUntil the person reaches 75, and at least 30 yearsDate of the last entryLawIonising Radiations Regulations 2017
Risk assessmentsKeep current ones; keep replaced versions 3 to 5 yearsDate replacedRecommendedManagement of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Health and safety and first aid training records6 yearsEnd of employmentRecommendedLimitation Act 1980; Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
Fire safety records (drills, checks, training)5 yearsDate of the recordRecommendedRegulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (no fixed period set)
Data protection and compliance records
RecordKeep forClock startsBasis
Subject access requests and your replies1 yearRequest completedRecommendedUK GDPR Article 12; ICO guidance (no fixed period set)
Data breach log3 yearsDate of the breachRecommendedUK GDPR Article 33(5) requires the log; no fixed period set
Data protection impact assessmentsFor as long as the processing continuesDate of the assessmentRecommendedUK GDPR Article 35
Records of processing activitiesKeep currentOngoingLawUK GDPR Article 30
CCTV footageUpdated31 days, unless needed as evidenceDate recordedRecommendedICO video surveillance guidance (no fixed period set). Footage linked to an incident or complaint: see Dismissals, grievances and disputes
Other records
RecordKeep forClock startsBasis
Whistleblowing concerns not upheldUpdated15 months. Remove the names of the people it was about as soon as possibleOutcomeRecommendedPublic Interest Disclosure Act 1998; UK GDPR storage limitation. Tribunal claims: six months from 1 October 2026 (Employment Rights Act 2025), plus the pause for Acas early conciliation (Employment Rights Act 1996 s207B; Equality Act 2010 s140B)
Whistleblowing concerns upheld6 yearsOutcomeRecommendedPublic Interest Disclosure Act 1998; Limitation Act 1980
TUPE transfer records6 yearsDate of the transferRecommendedTUPE Regulations 2006; Limitation Act 1980
Company statutory registersPermanently (some old entries can be removed after 10 years)OngoingLawCompanies Act 2006
Worth knowing
- Where there is no legal period, the usual guide is six years, the time limit for most contract claims in England and Wales (five years in Scotland). Keep records no longer than you need them: that is a legal rule too, under UK GDPR.
- If a claim, investigation or complaint is under way, keep everything related to it until it is resolved, whatever the table says.
- A tribunal can let a claim in after the time limit, most often in discrimination cases. The 15-month periods above leave room for the usual delays, but nothing can rule a late claim out completely.
- Records about anyone under 18, including accident records, are often kept until they turn 21, because the time limit for a claim only starts at 18.
This page covers HR and payroll records. If you work in a regulated sector such as education, health and care or financial services, your regulator may set its own periods for sector records.
General information for employers in Great Britain, not legal advice. If a record relates to a specific claim or dispute, keep it and speak to an employment solicitor. See also our free HR compliance diagnostic.
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