Employment records

General obligations

Employers are required to make and keep employment records for seven (7) years.

The records are required to be:

  • in a form that is readily accessible to an authorised Inspector
  • in a legible form and in English (preferably in plain, simple English)
  • unaltered unless correcting an error
  • not be false or misleading
  • made available to current and former employees on request

Records content

Employment records that an employer must make and keep is a record that specifies:

  • the employer’s name
  • the employee’s name
  • whether the employee’s employment is permanent, temporary or casual
  • the date on which the employee’s employment began
  • on and after 1 January 2010 - the Australian Business Number (if any) of the employer

Records relating to Long Service Leave

The Long Service Leave Act 1955 (NSW) section 8 refers to records to be keep by employers

  • Every employer shall keep record in a form for a period of at least 6 years