Records Management and Archives

University System of Georgia records retention policies and procedures

USG Records Retention Schedules

CATEGORY: Human Resources

Total: 50   Sorted by title. Showing 25 per page.


Payroll Records

Number:  0472-04-25

Description:  This series includes payroll registers, annual payroll earnings logs, pay authorization records, payroll adjustment records, payroll check registers, payroll deduction reimbursement records, payroll data entry summary reports, salary and wage records, paycheck delivery records, payroll draws records, and payroll input detail reports.

Retention:  Payroll Register and Annual Payroll Earnings Reports: 50 years; Payroll Data Entry Summary Reports: Until superseded by the Payroll Register; Paycheck Delivery Logs: 3 years; Other paycheck delivery records: 1 year after separation of employee; salary and wage records: 4 years after the end of the fiscal year; All other records: 5 years.


Personnel Activity Report Forms

Number:  0472-04-026

Description:  The PAR is used to request changes of employees' activities, funding, or pay.

Retention:  8 years.


Position Descriptions

Number:  0472-04-027

Description:  This series documents job descriptions for positions and is used for employee recruiting, Fair Labor Standards Act eligibility analysis, position review, and reclassification purposes. Information in position descriptions may include position names, position numbers, qualifications, functions and responsibilities, duties, hierarchical data, job classification numbers, description of duties, and pay rates. Records may include but are not limited to: position description forms; reclassification position descriptions and documentation; classification listings; and positions listings.

Retention:  5 years after position is reclassified or redescribed.


Position Inventory Control System 〈PICS〉 Reports

Number:  0472-04-028

Description:  This series documents job classification control and distribution code tracking, and is used to set budgets, to verify control numbers, and to regulate the total authorized FTE.

Retention:  4 years.


Retirement Incentive Program Records

Number:  0472-04-029

Description:  This series documents the incentive programs providing benefits for university employees who choose early retirement.

Retention:  6 years after final payment.


Safety Training Records

Number:  0472-04-049

Description:  This series documents employee training and certification such as for equipment operation, hazardous material handling and emergency procedures, driver training, CPR and first aid training, and asbestos awareness training for removal, abatement, or transportation.

Retention:  30 years after separation of employee.


Search Records

Number:  0472-04-030

Description:  This series documents the selection process for positions within the institution. Records may include but are not limited to: applications; curriculum vitae or resumes; academic transcripts; samples of writing or publications; approvals of recruitment proposals; candidate lists; position announcements; position advertisements; position descriptions; certificates of eligibility; copies of Affirmative Action compliance data forms; requests to fill academic position forms; testing records; background surveys; evaluations; and interview materials.

Retention:  Academic and classified search records: 4 years after search completed; Student search records: 1 year; Not hired applications: 3 years after position is filled or recruitment canceled; Unsolicited applications: 3 months.


Shift Summary Sheets

Number:  0472-04-031

Description:  This series documents the time worked by employees on various jobs on a daily basis. This series is used to provide: a record of time worked by employees for payroll purposes; a record of customer charges incurred for billing purposes; and cost accounting information on a real-time basis. The series may also be used as a back-up source of information for wage related grievance cases brought forth by employees. Information may include: employees' names; descriptions of duties performed; wages paid for each duty; time worked at each duty; outputs connected with each duty; and totals.

Retention:  2 years.


Social Security Number Records

Number:  0472-04-032

Description:  This series documents international students' and scholars' acquisition of social security numbers. This series may include but is not limited to: social security number applications; Statement of Information - Social Security Account Number forms; photocopies of social security cards; and Controllers Division reports.

Retention:  Retain until approved; if not approved retain for useful life.


Staffing Records

Number:  0472-04-033

Description:  This series may include but is not limited to: notations on priority staffing decisions; requests for approval of new staff positions; justification statements; descriptions of teaching responsibilities for positions requested; funding information; job announcements; and memoranda.

Retention:  2 years after superseded.


Student Employee Time and Attendance Forms, Restricted Funds

Number:  0472-04-034

Description:  This series documents hours worked by student employees including those on work-study who are paid from restricted fund accounts. This series is used for payroll purposes and to meet federal requirements for documenting time worked by work-study students. This series only includes departmental time and attendance forms.

Retention:  Records of students paid from U.S. Department of Education awards: 5 years after issuance of final financial report to the awarding agency; Records of work-study students: 3 years after issuance of final financial report to awarding agency or 5 years, whichever is longer; Records of students paid from other restricted funds: 3 years after issuance of final report to the awarding agency.


Student Social Security/Medicare Tax Review Reports

Number:  0472-04-035

Description:  This series is used to determine proper FICA coding for student employees. The reports may include but are not limited to: student name and ID number; credit hours carried; budget classification code; FICA quarters earned; year-to-date FICA withheld; and last FICA contribution date.

Retention:  5 years.


Study Abroad Foreign Nationals Payroll Records

Number:  0472-04-036

Description:  This series documents payments to foreign nationals employed both full-time and part-time by the institution as support staff for its study abroad programs. This series may include but is not limited to agreements concerning pay rates and accounting information for payments to employees.

Retention:  3 years after end of enrollment.


Tax Withholding Authorization Records

Number:  0472-04-037

Description:  This series documents amounts withheld by Payroll from employees' checks for taxing authorities. This series may include but is not limited to: the Statement for Claiming Benefits Provided by Section 911 of the Internal Revenue Code; Withholding Allowance Certificates (W-4s); Earned Income Credit Advance Payment Certificates (W-5s); Non-resident Alien Request for Exemption from Tax Withholding (IRS Form 8233); Alien Information Request Form; and Request for Exemption from State Income Tax Withholding.

Retention:  4 years after superseded or employee separates.


Termination Lists

Number:  0472-04-038

Description:  This series documents institutional employees whose records have been deleted from the personnel data base. This series contains annual lists of former employees and includes: employees names; People Soft ID number; department; employment state and end dates; and part/full time status.

Retention:  3 years.


Time, Attendance, and Leave Records

Number:  0472-04-039

Description:  This series documents time and attendance and leave for faculty, classified, and student employees. Records include: monthly time entry forms which may include hours worked, leave used, employee's name, supervisor's authorization, earnings information, and time distribution information; leave request forms; overtime authorization or certification; leave summary reports; leave without pay records; and work-study time certificates and referrals.

Retention:  Individual Leave Notifications: 5 years; Leave Record: 50 years; Work Time Adjustment Agreements: Until superseded or obsolete; Leave Donation Records: 1 year after leave is used.


Transaction Registers

Number:  0472-04-040

Description:  This series documents all employee database data entry transactions. This series includes daily and quarterly registers for deduction, employee, and budget transactions.

Retention:  Quarterly registers: 4 years; Daily registers: Until superseded.


Unemployment Compensation Claim Records

Number:  0472-04-041

Description:  This series documents claims submitted by former institution employees for unemployment compensation. Records may include but are not limited to: claim records; notices; reports; and records generated by the appeal of claim determinations.

Retention:  5 years after the end of the fiscal year in which the transaction occurred.


Visa Scholars Records, H-1

Number:  0472-04-042

Description:  This series documents the temporary employment of internationals by the institution and is used to monitor compliance with Immigration and Naturalization Service regulations. Records may include but are not limited to: Petition for a Non-immigrant Worker; Labor Conditions Applications for H-1B Non-immigrant; Prevailing Wage Information Request; Application to Immigrant and Naturalization Service; documentation of requests for visa extensions; and details of work assignments.

Retention:  6 years after expiration of visa and extensions granted.


Visa Scholars Records, Immigrant

Number:  0472-04-043

Description:  This series documents the application and approval of international scholars for permanent immigrant status. Records may include but are not limited to: Applications for Alien Employment Certifications issued by the Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration; advertisements for positions; curriculum vitae; transcripts; letters of recommendation; notes on all applicants for positions demonstrating that a petitioner was the best qualified candidate for an advertised position; forms indicating the institution's efforts to employ comparably qualified U.S. citizens; and interviewers' notes and memoranda.

Retention:  10 years following approval of permanent resident status.


Visa Scholars Records, J-1

Number:  0472-04-044

Description:  This series documents the short-term appointment of non-immigrant international scholars as visiting faculty, specialists, researchers, and trainees. Records may include but are not limited to: United States Information Service Certificates of Eligibility for Exchange Visitors Forms; descriptions of work to be performed; methods of financial support; copies of passports; check-in forms; and log sheets noting the nature of telephone calls concerning each scholar's status.

Retention:  3 years after visa expiration.


Visiting Scholar Program Records

Number:  0472-04-045

Description:  This series documents programs that allow one or more visiting scholars to assume residence on campus. This series may include but is not limited to: advertisements; applicant data; arrangements and schedules; publicity and news clippings; presentation transcripts or published works; scholars' vitae; and scholars' activities documentation including audio recordings.

Retention:  7 years.


Volunteer Program Records

Number:  0472-04-046

Description:  This series documents the activities and administration of an institution's department or office's volunteer program. Records may include: volunteer hour statistics; volunteer program publicity records; insurance requirement information; and inactive volunteer files containing applications and conditions of volunteer service forms.

Retention:  Individual volunteer files: 3 years after separation; All other record: 3 years.


Wage and Tax Statements (W-2 Forms)

Number:  0472-04-047

Description:  This series provides a summary record of data reported on the annual Wage and Tax Statements (W-2) for the institutional employees.

Retention:  5 years.


Workers’ Compensation Claims, Closed

Number:  0472-04-048

Description:  This series documents employee accidents, injuries, and medical claims.

Retention:  5 years and settlement of all claims due.

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