If you need to store employment information such as employment applications you would be smart to go paperless. You can go ahead and scan a copy of their driver's license as well as their social security card. This is a buzz word worth buzzing about believe me. I've done it the other way at first, and found out quickly that it just doesn't work. You have no idea how much damage paper can do to your business. I don't care if you're managing a hotdog stand or you're a newspaper editor. You need to go paperless! Do yourself a favor: purchase a Fujitsu Scansnap Scanner. I know this sounds like some sort of spam advertisement but I swear by it. It is about the size of a toaster but it works like a charm! Also, it comes with Adobe Acrobat Professional which is a $400 value. los angeles county patent trademark copyright attorney california patent trademark copyright attorney

Hi Sandy - Welcome to the Business.gov community! Federal regulations do require employers to keep records of applicants even if they are not hired. These requirements range from one to two years depending on the size of your business and several other affirmative action statutes that may apply to you. To be safe, it's best to keep detailed records and not be too eager to dispose of these documents. Taking a look back at your previous applicants can be beneficial to tracking the progress and standards of your company's hiring policies. Reviewing our employment section on Staying Compliant with Laws may serve as a great resource to answer any other questions. Thanks for posting! Please continue to use the community as a resource and place to share your experience with other users. Message Edited by JamieD on 02-25-2009 04:16 PM