Export or remove a leaver's personal data

Labour law asks you to keep a worker's file for a while after they leave. Once that period has passed, the owner can remove the leaver's personal data while the payroll and attendance figures stay.

Before you start

• Exporting a person's data needs the owner, or a user with Manage HR (files, documents, leave) and Salaries and payroll.
• Removing personal data can be done by the owner only.
• The person's file must show Status: Left with a Leaving date.

Export a person's data

1. Open the person's file from HR → People.
2. Select Export this person's data at the top.
3. Save the file. It holds the profile, the employee file with pay data, document details, time off, payroll lines, the staff ledger and two years of punches, in one JSON file.

Remove a leaver's personal data

1. Open the leaver's file and scroll to Remove this person's personal data at the end.
2. If the retention period has not passed, the page says from which day it is possible.
3. Type the person's name exactly as shown in Type the name (…) to confirm.
4. Select Remove personal data and confirm.
5. Read the report: what was erased, what was kept, and why.

Good to know

• The retention period is 5 years (1,826 days) after the end of employment in Egypt and 2 years (731 days) in the UAE, following each country's labour law as published. To change it, open HR → HR settings → Privacy and retention and type Days to keep a leaver's personal data. Leave it empty for your country's default.
• The owner is reminded once when a leaver's retention period has passed.
• After removal, the name becomes "Former employee 0042" (with the next number). Personal details, bank details, notes, documents and scans, and attendance photos are erased.
• Kept, under that name: job title, department, branch, joining and leaving dates, payroll amounts, time off days and attendance times. Your books and headcount still need them.
• This cannot be undone.
• The attendance device still holds the person's fingerprint or face template. Delete the user on the device itself.
• Hiring applications that became this person are removed too.
• The export and the removal are both written to the activity log.
• Deleting your whole organisation's account removes every HR record and scan.
• Data protection rules differ by country. See Egypt and UAE.