To avoid legal problems resulting from the destruction of documents, a document retention policy must be routinely followed and diligently maintained. All employees must know what to do with their documents and how to eliminate unnecessary documents. Likewise, all supervisors must clearly state and remind their employees of how the policy works. These techniques will ensure that a properly designed policy will be consistently applied.
Did you know there are actual laws regarding Document Privacy and paper shredding? Most small businesses and residents are not aware of the laws for the proper disposal of records containing personal information. Massachusetts Attorney General is very serious about protecting residents and businesses from identity theft. It doesn’t matter if the information was used in a crime or the age of the documents, the mere fact that documents were disposed of in an improper manner will find that company or individual answering to the Attorney General’s office and in wrong side of the law. And in all likelihood, they will find themselves writing a large settlement check to the State and will incur a hefty legal bill.
