When I was HR director for a private prison, we archived personnel records for 3 years. However, some kinds records had longer requirements. These days, most employers restrict what they tell others about former employees' records. I worked for a hospital whose policy was to verify dates of employment; that's it. They did not give the character of a person's tenure, nor did they indicate the reason for departure. They wouldn't even answer whether or not someone was eligible for re-hire. With job-hopping much more the norm, employers don't want to leave themselves at risk by being critical of someone's job performance. Rich Douglas
A number of states, as a result of a bunch of lawsuits, have passed "limited immunity" laws that protect employers from giving factually accurate references on former employees. Unfortunately, many employers take the stance that (1) it won't stop a disgruntled former employee from *filing* a suit (costing big bucks just to get a dismissal) and (2) it's simply easier to verify dates of employment and nothing else. I should think that most employers would keep rudimentary records on past employees semi-indefinitely so that they can verify employment, but I don't know for sure. I was reading an article that mentioned several folks that have worked for a half-dozen dotcoms in the past 5 years, all of which are now gone, and with them, the prospective employer's ability to verify employment and get references -- unless the employee can track down a former boss at their current position mowing lawns or painting houses.
