Retention policy

What is a retention policy?

A retention policy is a set of rules that determines how long an organization keeps specific types of information before they are archived or deleted. These policies apply to both digital and physical records and are designed to ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and business requirements.

Retention policies are often paired with lifecycle management, since they relate to governing data within business files, emails, contracts, and financial documents.

How a retention policy works

Retention policies typically define three key factors: retention period, how the items are disposed of, and the scope of information. The retention period clearly defines how long a record must be kept. Once that is established, the policy will lay out what happens after the retention period is over. Typically, a company will choose to permanently delete or archive the records. Lastly, the scope of the policy will define which systems, departments, or data types the policy will apply to.

For example, a company might retain financial records for seven years to comply with tax laws, then securely delete them. In IT systems like Microsoft 365, retention policies can automatically apply these rules to emails, documents, and chat messages, reducing manual effort and ensuring compliance.

Why is a retention policy important?

• Compliance: Many industries have strict regulations (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR, Sarbanes-Oxley) that mandate specific retention periods.

• Risk reduction: Keeping unnecessary data increases exposure in case of breaches or litigation.

• Cost control: Eliminating outdated records reduces storage costs.

• Efficiency: Ensures employees work with current, relevant information.

Through its Student Record Digitization content management services, Ricoh helps K-12 organizations implement retention policies that help them store key information while staying compliant and streamlining audits.

Commonly asked questions

Is a retention policy the same as a backup policy?

No. Backups are for disaster recovery, while retention policies govern how long data is kept and when it’s deleted.

What happens if a company doesn’t have a retention policy?

It can lead to compliance violations, higher storage costs, and increased legal risk during audits or lawsuits.

Can retention policies be automated?

Yes. Many modern systems, including Ricoh’s document management platforms, allow automated retention and deletion based on predefined rules.

Do retention policies apply to employee data?

Yes. HR records, payroll information, and performance reviews often have mandated retention periods under labor laws.