Digital personnel file: all HR documents in one place

The digital personnel file is the electronic collection of all data and documents of an employment relationship, from the employment contract to payroll runs and certificates. Clear access rules determine who is permitted to view which documents. In Planerio, it consists of the personnel data in the employee profile and the HR documents.

There is no mandate for the personnel file in its entirety. However, from January 1, 2027, employers must maintain their payroll records electronically (§ 8 BVV in conjunction with § 28f SGB IV), as the exemption option ends on December 31, 2026. References, warnings, or applications may continue to be kept in paper form.

From 2027, payroll records within the meaning of § 8 BVV must be maintained electronically, such as payroll and salary statements and the documents required for the calculation of social security contributions. You may store all other personnel documents digitally, but are not required to do so. It is best to clarify exactly which documents this includes in your business with your tax advisor or payroll accounting department.

Immediately. For Planerio customers, it is already activated in the account; Docs Basis is included in the subscription. New customers receive it with their Planerio access – including the introductory offer.

Up to 10 documents per employee are included as Docs Basis in the Planerio subscription. For an unlimited number of documents, Docs Premium Unlimited is available for €1.50 per employee per month (net).

Anyone who uploads an average of at least 3 documents per employee by 31.12.2026 can use Docs Premium Unlimited for free until 31.12.2027. From 01.01.2028, the package costs €1.50 per employee per month, provided you store an average of more than 10 documents per employee. If the target is not met, Docs Basis remains free for up to 10 documents on average.

Then you automatically switch to Docs Basis and pay nothing. Costs only arise if you store an average of more than 10 documents per employee. You do not need to cancel anything for this.

Yes, the uploading and distribution of payroll statements from DATEV is in preparation. We will announce the launch in the product newsletter.

Yes, absolutely. The digital personnel file only becomes complete when existing documents are included – such as employment contracts, hygiene certificates, and training records. You can upload several files at once via drag & drop: up to 100 files per upload, up to 20 MB each, as PDF, JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, or BMP.

Start with the documents you need or have to provide most frequently:
1. Employment contract
2. Contract changes and addenda
3. Payroll and salary statements
4. Personnel questionnaire with master data
5. Qualification records such as professional certificates or diplomas
6. Hygiene certificate or proof of hygiene training
7. Proof of occupational health and safety and fire protection instruction
8. First aid certificate
9. Copy of driver’s license, if the job requires a driving permit
10. Signed declaration on data protection and confidentiality

For certificates with validity periods, you can store an expiry date during upload. It will be displayed directly on the document.

Ideally following a fixed pattern: document type, date in YYYY-MM-DD format, last name – for example Arbeitsvertrag_2024-03-01_Mueller.pdf or Hygieneschulung_2026-05-12_Mueller.pdf.

This way you can find every document quickly: The search in Planerio scans filenames and descriptions and even finds word fragments. Because the date is in Year-Month-Day format, you can also immediately identify the most recent one if there are several documents of the same type. You also assign each document to a category, such as “employment contracts” or “payroll accounting.”

Log in to Planerio and then open an employee profile. Our knowledge base articles show you how to do it step by step: Maintaining personnel data and Managing personnel documents.

The personnel file includes all documents relating to the employment relationship: for example, the employment contract and contract amendments, application documents, payroll and salary statements, qualifications and training certificates, references, and warnings. Private matters with no connection to the employment relationship do not belong in it. In Planerio, you assign each document to a category, such as employment contracts, application documents, payroll accounting, or guidelines.

There is no uniform period; it depends on the respective document. You must retain wage accounts and payroll statements for six years (§ 41 EStG), records of working hours for two years (§ 16 ArbZG (German Working Hours Act)), and payroll records until the end of the calendar year following the last tax audit (§ 28f SGB IV). For employment contracts, references, and terminations, the three-year limitation period from the end of the employment relationship usually applies (§ 195 BGB (German Civil Code)).

The employer maintains and manages the personnel file. However, employees have the right to inspect their personnel file (§ 83 BetrVG) and to request information about their stored data (Art. 15 GDPR). In Planerio, employees can view their own documents at any time under “My Documents” on the web and in the app, and their data under “My Data” on the web.

Following the termination of employment, the employer shall retain the documents for as long as required by statutory periods or potential claims. Thereafter, the data must be deleted in accordance with the GDPR.

In Planerio, the personnel data of deactivated employees is retained, and you can specifically delete documents that are no longer required.