Does your team know which documents to destroy and which to keep?

Booking a secure document bin and collection is a great first step in managing your business’s approach to sensitive corporate documents. However, do your employees know which documents are suitable to be destroyed and which are not? It’s critical to your organization’s security that your staff members are trained in the use of secure document destruction bins.

Under law, business records must be retained for a set period of time.

Within your organisation it’s important to decide which resources and records will still be required for future use and reference, and which can be safely destroyed. Under Australian law, many records must be kept for a set period of time. How long do you need to keep your records?

Ultimately, the length of time depends on your unique business, but here’s a general guide on the length of time you need to keep business records in Australia.

Training your staff on document security is not only useful for ensuring that something crucial isn’t accidentally and permanently destroyed. But it also empowers your staff to clear out old and redundant files with confidence without being reminded. Once they know which documents to keep, which to scan, and which to destroy, everyone saves time and your company saves money.

PRO TIP: A list of DOs and Don’ts with time windows.

A good tactic is start with a clear list of DOs and Don’ts with accompanying time windows and/or due dates. Work out which documents are simply duplications of records that exist elsewhere. A simple Excel sheet and/or reminder dates in Outlook is a great way to start.

Perhaps there are outdated records being used that actually contradict current and up to date documents. In an effort to go paperless, you may even find that you have identical digital records that are now faster and easier to access when required. In the event that you come across something that hasn’t already been recreated or copied as a digital record – now is the perfect opportunity!

Help your team understand the importance of document destruction and security.

Having everyone on the same page will encourage your staff to think for themselves. Include your company’s official document security guidelines or security policy within your employee manual and orientation training. Encourage your employees to be more environmentally aware and bring your attention to additional paper clutter you may have not originally considered.

Need a secure document destruction bin at your office? Fortunately, there is no project too big or too small for us! Stapled, bound or paper-clipped documents, even digital media or e-waste like CDs or USBs are able to be securely destroyed, and then go on to be used in recycle products. Book your secure document destruction bin now and get all your team on board by clicking here or calling us on 03 9460 9800.

Don’t need a whole bin? Only have a small batch of documents that need destroying?

We recommend Bag-N-Shred for an affordable and environmentally friendly way to shred paperwork. It’s affordable (only $19.90 for up to 5 kgs of documents—that’s about 2 reams of standard office paper) and you can also request a free Certificate of Destruction. Read more about Bag-N-Shred here.