Each structural unit of a company must have a file classification system. This also applies to the HR department, as it is this unit that generates and stores personnel documents of the company for a certain period of time.
As practice shows, the HR department maintains the largest number of documents (compared to other structural units), and accordingly, the largest number of files, including personal files of company employees.
The HR department’s file classification system is intended to:
– establish the procedure for forming paper and electronic personnel documents into files;
– determine the retention periods for files;
– ensure file accounting;
– enable prompt search of personnel documents by type and content.
In addition, the HR department’s file classification system serves as the basis for compiling descriptions of files related to personnel matters for long-term (over 10 years) storage, as well as for accounting of files for temporary (up to 10 years inclusive) storage.
Development of the file classification project
The company’s manager must issue an order appointing persons responsible for recordkeeping in each structural unit of the company, including the HR department. These responsible persons will compile the file classification systems in their respective units.
Thus, the development of the HR department’s file classification project will be entrusted to the employee responsible for organizing personnel recordkeeping.
In a small, non-structured enterprise, the person who maintains all personnel documentation will be responsible for preparing the section of the consolidated file classification system that contains a systematic list of file titles related to personnel matters.
If necessary, employees of the recordkeeping service (documentation support department, recordkeeping and control department, office, etc.) must provide methodological and consultative assistance to the HR department employee in developing the file classification system.
According to paragraph 8, chapter 1, section IV of the Rules for Organizing Recordkeeping and Archival Storage of Documents in State Authorities, Local Governments, Enterprises, Institutions, and Organizations, approved by the Order of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine dated June 18, 2015, No. 1000/5 (rada.gov.ua) (hereinafter – Rules No. 1000/5), the prepared file classification system is signed by the head of the HR department and initialed by the person responsible for the company’s archive. The HR department’s file classification system, like those of other structural units, is not subject to approval.
The HR department’s file classification system is compiled in three copies:
– the first copy is stored intact in the relevant HR department file;
– the second is submitted to the recordkeeping service for inclusion in the consolidated file classification system;
– the third is used as a working copy for file formation and operational document searches within the HR department.
Regulatory and methodological support for preparing the file classification system
When preparing the HR department’s file classification system, one should follow the requirements of Rules No. 1000/5 (rada.gov.ua), which establish the procedure for developing, signing, implementing, and amending the file classification system if necessary.
Let us remind you that Rules No. 1000/5 is a regulatory legal act mandatory for all companies.
Paragraph 8, chapter 1, section IV of Rules No. 1000/5 states that the file classification system of a structural unit must be developed no later than November 15 of the current year. However, legislation does not provide for penalties for missing this deadline. Therefore, it is not considered a significant error if the file classification system is developed in the second half of November or even in December. The main requirement is that the document be ready and implemented by January 1.
To determine the retention periods of personnel documents and conduct their value assessment for long-term (over 10 years) storage or destruction, one should follow the List of Typical Documents Created During the Activities of State Authorities, Local Governments, and Other Legal Entities, approved by the Order of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine dated April 12, 2012, No. 578/5 (rada.gov.ua) (hereinafter – List No. 578/5).
List No. 578/5 is also a regulatory legal act mandatory for all companies.
Applying List No. 578/5 ensures high-quality value assessment of all administrative, including personnel, documents, preparation of the file classification system, and facilitates the proper and timely disposal of documents that have lost their practical value.
To unify and improve the quality of document systematization in enterprises with similar activities, ministries, other central and local executive authorities, central state institutions, private concerns, corporations, and companies, or, by their order, sectoral research institutions, develop standard and/or model file classification systems, which serve as regulatory and methodological guides for compiling individual file classification systems for enterprises in specific industries and fields.
These regulatory and methodological guides significantly simplify the preparation of individual file classification systems for enterprises and their structural units.
The difference between these types of file classification systems is as follows:
– Standard file classification systems establish a typical set of files with a unified indexing system for each file for enterprises with similar activities and identical structures;
– Model file classification systems establish an approximate set of files formed in the recordkeeping of enterprises with similar activities but different structures. When preparing an individual file classification system based on a model one, it is allowed to clarify and detail file titles.
Structure of the File Classification System
The unified format of a structural unit’s file classification system is established by Rules No. 1000/5 (rada.gov.ua) and provided in Appendix 11 to these Rules.
When compiling the HR department’s file classification system, it is necessary to consider all current files, as well as topics and tasks planned for the following year, such as organizing and conducting workplace certification based on working conditions.
The arrangement of file titles in the classification system should reflect the importance of the issues being addressed, taking into account the interrelation of documents included in specific files.
We have prepared a sample completed file classification system for the HR department for 2026.
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The file classification text is formatted as a table with the following columns:
1 – “File Index”
2 – “File Title (volume, part)”
3 – “Number of Files (volumes, parts)”
4 – “File Retention Period (volume, part) and article numbers from the list”
5 – “Notes”
File Index
The file index consists of the index of the company’s structural unit (according to the staffing schedule) and the sequential number of the file, for example: 05–10, where 05 is the HR department index; 10 is the file number according to the numbering order within the “HR Department” section.
File Title
The file title should reflect the types of documents stored in the file and reveal their content. The main part of the title is a brief description of the issue for which the file is created. Titles must be short, clear, and as precise as possible.
The title is presented in the following sequence: type of documents – author (correspondent) – issue description – document creation period.
Example: “Orders of the company director on granting annual basic and additional leave to employees in 2025.”
Information about document copies should be indicated only at the end of the title, e.g.: “HR Department Regulations (copy).”
For files containing documents on a single issue, a general term “documents” is used, and the main types of documents grouped in the file are listed in parentheses, e.g.:
“Documents (schedules, applications, letters, notifications) on granting annual basic and additional leave to employees in 2025.”
For files containing correspondence, the correspondent and the issue must be specified, e.g.:
“Correspondence with the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine on the employment of women and minors in production in 2025.”
If the file contains planning or reporting documentation, the title must include the period (month, quarter, year) for which the documents were created, e.g.:
“Quarterly labor reports (Form No. 1-PV (quarterly))”
Features of Title Composition When Using a Model File Classification System
When developing the HR department’s file classification system based on a model classification system, considering its advisory nature, the following should be noted:
a) Only those file titles whose documents are actually created in the HR department’s activities are transferred from the model classification system. Additionally, the individual classification system may include titles not provided in the model.
b) Titles from the model classification system must be specified and clarified (types of documents, specific authors, correspondents, etc.).
c) Depending on the number of documents and their retention periods, it is allowed to merge or split files listed in the model classification system. For example, separate files may be created for different types of personnel orders, even with the same retention period.
Number of Files
The third column — “Number of Files” — is filled in at the end of the recordkeeping year, when the actual number of files created in 2025 is known. These data are also reflected in the summary entry, which must be completed after the end of the recordkeeping year.
Retention Periods
Retention periods and references to articles from List No. 578/5 are indicated in the fourth column.
In cases where a file contains documents with different temporary retention periods, the maximum retention period is applied.
For example, if documents have retention periods of 3 and 5 years, the file should be assigned a 5-year retention period.
For files containing document copies, no retention period is set, as such documents are not transferred for storage. In the fourth column, indicate:
“Until no longer needed” or “Until replaced with new ones” — without referencing an article from List No. 578/5.
Closing the File Classification for 2025
At the end of the records management year, the company’s consolidated file classification and the classifications of all its departments must be closed with a final entry indicating the categories and the actual number of files created.
We have prepared a sample of the final entry for 2025.
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The final entry for the HR department’s file classification is signed by the employee responsible for HR records management and submitted to the records management service.
The head of the records management service (or an authorized person) consolidates all the data, signs the final entry of the consolidated classification, and informs the head of the archival department (or the person responsible for the archive) about the actual number of files created in 2025.
Every year (at the end of each records management year), the file classifications of the HR department and other departments, as well as the consolidated classification, are reviewed and updated. After all changes are made, they must be reprinted.
The new file classification comes into effect on January 1, 2026.
Expert Tip
When preparing a file classification, leave reserve lines at the end of each section. This is normal if, during the year, there is a need to add new files not included in the approved classification. The reason may be changes in legislation or the company’s internal needs.