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Going Paperless
Even though not required, organizations are opting to store documents in an electronic format to make it easier to search, retrieve, and manage them. One of the biggest challenges for HR departments is record keeping and ensuring compliance with all the rules and regulations governing electronic storage of documents, especially retention periods and security.
Establishing a centralized knowledgebase, leveraging online collaboration and having online total rewards administration forces HR in most organizations to adopt a “paperless” environment. HR transactions have historically required extensive retention of documents and having a “paper-trail” of employee-related transactions. Several documents frequently accessible in hard copy form, like performance evaluations, attendance records, disciplinary records, employee announcements, employment verification authorization and results, education certifications, applications, resumes, and orientation information, must be retained in accordance with regulations which don’t require a particular form of preservation. Today, the requirement persists yet technology has enabled the HR function to be more cost effective and efficient in how these documents are stored while providing easier access to end users.
Going paperless entails moving to information being electronically stored and disseminated. This approach includes a plethora of solutions such as email, web pages, electronic text and data files, archival systems, instant messaging, voice mail systems, cloud storage, individual workstations and laptop computers, and portable storage devices such as memory sticks.
Using electronic documents in place of paper creates a need for electronic signatures. In the United States, the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) and the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) provide rules governing the use of signatures in electronic formats. We will look at these two acts in more detail later in the course.