Labour Document Management: Which HR Documents Your Company Must Keep and for How Long

Why labour document management matters

Labour document management means organising, retaining and protecting every document generated by the relationship between a company and its employees. In Spain, a disorganised archive not only complicates the daily work of HR but can also lead to penalties if you fail to keep the records the law requires.

A well-structured system lets you respond quickly to a labour inspection, a court claim or an internal audit.

Which documents the company must keep

The most relevant employment documents include:

• Employment contracts and their annexes or amendments.
• Payslips and proof of salary payment.
• Time records and work-time tracking.
• Social Security contribution documents (RNT and RLC).
• Registration, termination and data-change notices.
• Records of holidays, leave and absences.
• Occupational risk-prevention and training documentation.

Legal retention periods

Each type of document has its own retention period. Some of the most important in Spain:

• The time record must be kept for 4 years, under RD-ley 8/2019 and Article 34.9 of the Workers' Statute (Estatuto de los Trabajadores).
• Contribution documents and payslips should be kept for at least 4 years for Social Security purposes, and up to the limitation period for tax debts.
• Risk-prevention documentation may require longer periods depending on the hazard.

Failing to keep the time record for 4 years can be treated as a serious labour infringement.

Digital archiving and validity

Digitising the employment archive is fully valid as long as the integrity, authenticity and legibility of documents are guaranteed. A good system must allow you to search, retrieve and export records without losing information.

1. Define a consistent naming and folder policy.
2. Set up regular backups.
3. Control access according to each user role.
4. Schedule secure deletion once retention periods expire.

The GDPR and data protection

Much of the employment documentation contains personal data, so its processing is subject to the GDPR and Spain's LOPDGDD. This means limiting retention to the necessary period, applying security measures and respecting employees' rights.

A platform like RegulaKit centralises contracts, time records and absences in a single secure environment, making compliance easier. To estimate the cost of non-compliance, try our penalty calculator.

Best practices

• Keep an up-to-date inventory of documents and retention periods.
• Avoid duplicates and files scattered across personal inboxes.
• Train your HR team in data protection.

Solid document management saves time, reduces risk and strengthens employee trust.