HR digital vault: centralising and archiving your documents
Contracts, amendments, payslips, certificates, medical notes: an employee file accumulates over several years and becomes, in case of dispute or audit, the only proof the employer has. This guide explains how to structure this archiving, with what access and what retention periods.
What is an HR digital vault?
An HR digital vault is a secure space that centralises the documents tied to the employment relationship, with profile-controlled access and traceability of consultations and uploads.
It differs from a simple shared folder in three ways: encryption, fine-grained access rights, and traceability. These three points give a document its value as proof.
Why do scattered files pose a problem?
In many companies, HR documents are split between a paper binder, a shared drive and several mailboxes. Three practical consequences follow.
● Impossible to produce an old document quickly in case of dispute or audit
● No real control over who accesses what, when some documents are sensitive
● A risk of permanent loss if the person holding the files leaves
The cost of this disorganisation never appears in accounting, but it materialises abruptly on the day of a dispute.
Which documents to keep, and for how long?
Retention periods vary by document type and the applicable texts. The principle is twofold: keep long enough to defend yourself in case of a claim, but not indefinitely, since unlimited retention runs counter to data-protection rules.
In practice, distinguish three families: contract-related documents, payroll- and contribution-related documents, and unsuccessful applications, which must not be kept without limit or without informing the individuals.
To verify: legal retention periods for social and tax documents are set by the applicable texts and can differ by document type. Have your retention schedule drawn up by an adviser, then apply it systematically rather than case by case.
Who should have access to what?
Not all HR documents have the same status. Identity and pay data are ordinary personal data, with restricted access. Health data — medical certificates, sick notes — is sensitive and requires very limited access.
The operational rule is simple: a manager does not need to see a team member's medical certificate. Profile-based access management is not a technical convenience, it is a compliance requirement.
The applicable framework is detailed in our article on HR data protection in Senegal.
What does giving employees access to documents enable?
Giving each employee permanent access to their own documents — payslips, certificates, contract — has an immediate effect on the HR team's workload: reissue requests, which represent a significant share of daily queries, almost entirely disappear.
It is also a concrete improvement in the employee experience, particularly for staff far from head office, who no longer have to travel to obtain a document.
Key takeaways
● An HR vault differs from a shared folder through encryption, access rights and traceability
● Scattered documents make it impossible to produce proof quickly
● Retention periods must be defined, neither too short nor unlimited
● Health data requires far more restricted access than the rest
● Employee self-service access removes most reissue requests
Socium centralises HR documents in an encrypted space, with profile-based access, traceable archiving and a personal space for each employee. Discover document management or book a demo.
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