HR Records Retention Cheat Sheet: Federal Minimums by Record Type

You get asked, “Can we shred this yet?” and nobody knows. This cheat sheet gives the federal minimum for each record type, with the official source and the date it was checked on every row, plus a calculator that turns your dates into a destroy-after date.

Who it is for

• Owners and office managers who keep the files
• Bookkeepers and solo HR people building a records schedule
• Managers who need a plain answer in one minute

What is inside

• PDF of 4 pages: the minimums table, a file-separation guide, a worked example and a sources page
• Excel calculator with 3 tabs: start here, calculator and rules
• Rows for payroll, wage computation, Form I-9, personnel, termination, age-rule, FMLA and OSHA records
• A legal hold flag that stops the calculator from showing a destroy date

The problem it solves

Rules sit in five different places, so records get shredded too early or kept for years with no reason. One table and one calculator replace the guessing.

What it is not

It covers federal rules only. Many states require longer, and contractors, tax and benefit plan filings have their own periods. It is not legal advice.

Formats

PDF and Excel (.xlsx) in one download.

Important notice. Template and reference. Not legal advice. Prepared by McKinley Malbrough III, J.D., who is not a licensed attorney. Rules change and differ by state, so check the current rule where you work. Built with AI assistance, then edited and reviewed by the author. No result is promised.

Refunds. If this product is not what you expected, write to me within 14 days of purchase and I will review a refund.

These are general HR tools, not legal advice. For a situation with legal stakes, talk with an employment attorney.