Keeping Documents

Name: Keeping Documents
Author: Diane Martin

Learn how to maintain defensible documentation.

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Course: On-Demand

(bright music) Welcome to keeping documents, where we'll explore procedures for storing documents. In these lessons, you'll learn about some of the options organizations can consider when deciding the best way to manage the vast amount of workplace documents accumulated over time. You'll also learn about the implications of digital document storage, and what sets it apart from physical storage. Most organizations that run brick-and-mortar establishments generally pay careful attention to how space is utilized. That's because a business is usually charged for the lease of office space based on the actual square footage used. Given the volume of documents most organizations manage, this puts office space at a premium. For many organizations, deciding how to best manage costs means having to make important decisions about what documents to keep. It's not at all unusual for some to require the services of outside storage companies. Decisions related to what kinds of documents you can store or scrap require an examination of multiple factors. One of the first decisions an organization makes is whether something is or isn't a document. According to Merriam-Webster, a document is an original or official paper relied on as the basis, proof, or support of something, or a writing conveying information. Given that definition, there is little doubt that regardless of the organization's size, much of how business is conducted relies on both printed and electronic documents. And there's no shortage of either. These documents include internal memos, external correspondence, invoices, receipts, travel records, press releases, emails, health records, and personnel files, just to name a few. Once you've determined which of your papers or other files are documents, you'll have to determine what you can keep and what you can dispose of. In some instances, an organization may appear to have free reign in terms of what it can do with its documents. For example, an advertising executive, in the absence of a stated policy, can probably safely dispose of a draft proposal that they developed that the company didn't need or approve. On the other hand, a former employee's non-compete agreement would likely need to be retained. Retaining documents may be driven by outside influences. Rules and regulations often require organizations to keep certain kinds of documents, but can vary depending on location. In Massachusetts, an organization is required to retain attendance records six years from an employee's termination of employment. US federal law, however, requires organizations to retain attendance records for one year following termination of employment. In Great Britain, certain records are required to be retained for three years.

Intermediate Provider : Diane Martin 7 Lessons · 23m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

In these lessons, we’ll examine the constraints managers and supervisors must understand regarding how certain types of documents must be stored, managed, and retrieved. We will discuss what types of documentation are good documentation and what types of documentation are bad documentation. We will also discuss how to properly distribute documentation.

What You'll Learn

Identify the basic purpose of storing documentation in the workplace
Retrieve documentation when it is needed
Distinguish between good documentation and bad documentation
Keep documents safe and stored properly
Determine what should be documented
Manage and distribute documents properly

Key Takeaways

Managers and supervisors face constraints regarding how certain types of documents must be stored, managed, and retrieved.
There is a meaningful difference between good documentation and bad documentation.
Documentation must be distributed properly.
Documents need to be kept safe through proper storage.
The course covers the basic purpose of storing documentation and how to retrieve it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this course for?

It is aimed at managers and supervisors who must understand the constraints around how certain types of documents are stored, managed, and retrieved.

What does this course cover?

It examines how documents must be stored, managed, and retrieved, the difference between good and bad documentation, and how to properly distribute documentation.

What will I learn to do?

You will learn the basic purpose of storing documentation, how to retrieve documentation, and the difference between good and bad documentation.

What topics are included in the lessons?

Lessons cover maintaining workplace documents, what should be documented, how to keep documents safe, bad documentation, good documentation, and storing, managing, and distributing documents properly, followed by a knowledge test.

Is there an assessment in this course?

Yes, the course concludes with a Test Your Knowledge lesson.