HR Document Scanning & Personnel File Digitisation Services
Put an end to overflowing filing cabinets, time-consuming manual searches, and the compliance risks that come with paper-based HR records. Our professional HR document scanning service transforms your employee personnel files into a secure, fully indexed, GDPR-compliant digital archive – accessible instantly, from anywhere in your organisation.
Your Personnel Files, Digitised & Compliance-Ready Transform Employee Files into Smart, Searchable Digital Documents
Managing employee records across filing cabinets and storage rooms is costly, time-consuming, and increasingly difficult to defend under UK GDPR. Contracts, disciplinary records, absence histories, and right-to-work documentation need to be secure, retrievable, and retention-managed – paper simply cannot deliver that at scale.
Our HR document scanning service gives your HR team instant access to every personnel file, from any location, within a fully indexed and GDPR-compliant digital archive. No more manual searching. No missed Subject Access Request deadlines. No compliance exposure from unmanaged paper records.
Personnel File Documents We Scan We digitise the full range of documents typically held within an employee personnel file, including:
Contracts of employment
Including amendments, addenda, and offer letters.
Disciplinary & grievance records
Hearing notes, outcome letters, and appeal documentation.
Appraisal & performance records
Annual reviews, performance improvement plans, and objectives.
Absence & sickness records
Return-to-work forms, fit notes, and absence correspondence.
Right-to-work documents
Passports, visas, and share codes as required by UKBA.
Training & certification records
Certificates, completion records, and CPD documentation.
Leavers & exit documentation
Resignation letters, exit interview notes, and reference requests.
DBS check records
Disclosure certificates and associated compliance correspondence.
Occupational health records
Referral letters, medical assessments, fit-for-work reports, and reasonable adjustment documentation.
Our HR File Scanning Process
Collection
We securely collect your HR files from any UK or Europe location using GPS-tracked vehicles, ensuring safe and confidential transport to our scanning facility.
Prepration
Upon arrival, your files are carefully prepped by our specialists. We remove staples, bindings, and sort documents for a smooth, accurate scanning process.
Scanning
Using high-resolution scanning equipment and advanced software, we digitise each document to the highest quality standards. Every file is checked for completeness and clarity.
Indexing
Your records are intelligently indexed using key identifiers like Employee Name, DOB, Reference Number, and Document Type – making files easy to search, retrieve, and manage.
OCR
OCR (Full-Text Search): We apply advanced OCR technology to enable full-text searching across your HR files – giving you instant access to the information you need.
Delivery
Once your HR files are digitised, we deliver them through fully secure channels, whether via encrypted USB drives, secure FTP, or direct upload to your document management system such as SharePoint, Office 365, Box, or our very own Pearl Cloud.
Storage
Need to keep your originals? We provide secure document storage for as long as required, whether it’s short-term retention or long-term archiving. Your files remain safe, organised, and ready for retrieval whenever you need them.
Shredding
Need to dispose of your originals? We offer secure, BS 15713 compliant shredding to ensure sensitive HR data is permanently and responsibly destroyed.
Indexing Options - Built Around How Your HR Team Works
File-level indexing
All documents within an employee’s folder are scanned and merged into a single, fully searchable PDF – giving you one consolidated digital file per employee, neatly structured and immediately retrievable.
Best for: long-term archiving, annual audits, and compliance reviews where a complete employee record is needed at a glance.
Example: All records for Jane Smith – contract, appraisals, training certificates, and absence forms – are delivered as a single file: Jane Smith.pdf
Document-level indexing
Each document within a personnel file is scanned and saved as its own individually named PDF, complete with metadata. This provides granular, targeted access to specific record types without navigating an entire employee file.
Best for: responding to Subject Access Requests, resolving individual employee queries, email sharing, and GDPR right-to-erasure management.
Example: John Doe’s records are delivered as separate files: Employment Contract.pdf / Training Certificate 2022.pdf / Sickness Absence Form March 2023.pdf
GDPR Compliance & Your Personnel Records
Managing employee records in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 is a legal obligation – not an option. Paper-based HR archives make compliance measurably harder, particularly when it comes to responding to Subject Access Requests, applying defined retention periods, and acting on rights to erasure. Our HR scanning service is built with these obligations at its core.
Once digitised and indexed, your personnel records are stored within a structured, auditable digital environment – making it straightforward to apply retention rules, locate and retrieve individual files, redact or remove records upon erasure requests, and demonstrate compliance to the ICO if required.
Subject Access Requests (SARs)
Respond within the statutory 30-day limit with ease locate and compile an employee’s full record in minutes, not days.
Right to erasure
Identify and securely remove individual records at the end of their retention period or upon a valid erasure request, with a full audit trail.
Retention period management
Apply retention rules by document type across your digital archive – so records are kept for exactly as long as required and no longer.
Secure destruction
Original paper files are shredded in compliance with BS EN 15713 once digitised, with a Certificate of Destruction issued for your records.
UK GDPR Retention Periods - Personnel Files at a Glance
Understanding how long to retain different types of HR records is a fundamental compliance requirement. Our digital archiving solution supports structured, document-level retention management across your entire personnel file archive.
Document type Recommended retention period
Personnel files & training records 6 years from end of employment
Employment contracts 6 years from end of employment
Payroll records & P60s Minimum 6 years (HMRC requirement)
Right-to-work documentation 2 years after employment ends (UKBA up to 7 years)
Disciplinary & grievance records 6 years (or longer if litigation risk)
Sickness absence records Minimum 3 months; up to 6 years recommended
Pension benefits documentation 12 years from end of any benefit payable
Redundancy records 6 years
Retention periods are provided as general guidance based on current UK legislation and HMRC requirements. We recommend seeking independent legal advice to confirm specific obligations for your organisation and sector.
