Is it necessary to keep a log of employment contracts?

What is a registration book?

This is an accounting journal where all information about signed employment contracts between personnel and the company is recorded. This includes all amendments recorded in the employment agreement, as well as additional information on a specific employee.

Keeping such a book is not just an obligation, but a real help for personnel officers who have all the data about employees in easy access.

Why do you need a book?

The accounting journal has undeniable advantages:

• it’s easier to save and navigate it than to depend on numerous originals
• helps in conflict situations between employee and employer
• If there is a log, the HR manager will easily issue any certificate to the employee

This makes maintaining a registration book not just a routine task, but an opportunity to optimize the work of human resources services in an enterprise of any size.

Electronic recording of contracts on video:

Who makes entries in the book

According to the law, a journal of employment documents must be kept by a personnel manager or personnel employee.

The responsible person is clarified by the manager when he signs the order about the need to keep a journal. Such an order is required for each new copy.

Compilation rules

There are no fundamental requirements. But there are still basic rules for the magazine:

• the cover is preferably made of rigid or semi-rigid material
• It is necessary to draw up a title page on which there are two dates: the beginning of maintaining the document and the date of the last entry in this book, the full name of the employing company
• the first sheet remains blank or a sample filling is written on it
• all pages are numbered
• records are kept in tabular form
• the last page indicates the day, month and year when the last entry was made and the journal was archived
• After this, the document is stitched and deposited

When compiling a journal, it is necessary to record the manager’s data on the title page. The standard columns in all journals of this type are the same, but there may be additional ones, depending on the personnel specifics of the enterprise.

Shelf life

The paper journal is valid for a year, and after that it is sent to the archive, where, according to paragraph “c” of Art. 695 of the List of standard management archival documents, it must be stored for 75 years.

The magazine also exists in electronic form for a year, and then it needs to be printed, bound, signed by the manager and archived.

An incorrectly filled journal can be closed early. To do this, it is enough to manually write on the last page the reason why you are ending journal maintenance, for example, due to errors in registering contracts. Please indicate the numbers of the incorrectly recorded documents.

How to design a book

On each page of the magazine there is a table with a certain number of columns. There is important information that must be filled out, regardless of the specialization and size of the employing company:

1. The numbers of the record are in order (do not have anything in common with the employment contract number).
2. The date the entry was recorded in the book.
3. The numbers of the agreement number.
4. Employee data, his position, department, duration of the agreement.
5. Main or additional form of employment.
6. Other information.

There is a separate column about changes in the terms of the agreement between the company and employees. It is filled out if an employee is transferred to another department, his working conditions are changed, or he is fired early.

How to fill?

The register of employment contracts must be kept at the enterprise in two forms: electronic and paper.

The paper document must be bound, numbered and necessarily certified by the head of the organization. When registering an employment contract, all information is entered into the columns, after which the journal is given to the employee for signature. To register contract employees, it is better to create a separate column. It is important to pay attention to filling out the last page: the closing date of the journal and the date it was put into the archive are indicated here. It can also be closed ahead of schedule - if a personnel employee finds errors in filling out, it is immediately written off to the archive with an indication of the reason.

The electronic format duplicates the paper form . It is much more convenient for finding the required record and entering standard information. The electronic journal is most often an Excel or Word sheet (which is less common).

But this format also has a disadvantage - you cannot put a personal signature here, so you have to keep a log of employment contracts in two types at once.

The most common mistake that HR specialists make when filling out is putting the contract number in column 1 (the serial number of the record). In addition, a typical mistake is duplicating the date of conclusion and termination of the contract with numbers in columns 7 and 8.

Registration and accounting journals are considered a mandatory document in any organization. In separate articles, we will look at how to correctly draw up and maintain such journals: for internal memos, incoming and outgoing documentation, fire extinguishers, orders for core activities, strict reporting forms and induction training. And for those who are interested in learning about how the cashier-operator book, inspection and testing of power tools and the sanitary register are filled out, we have also posted interesting information on our website.

Electronic variant

To maintain the electronic version, the MS Excel computer program is used. This management option is considered more convenient. There are other advantages:

• easy control over the safety of documents

• better level of confidentiality, since access to the document can be strictly limited to a limited number of people
• quick access to obtaining certificates and finding the necessary information

Modern HR workers prefer an electronic version of the registration book, but many companies additionally maintain a paper version.

Electronic

The electronic journal appeared several years ago, but is already considered the most convenient way to maintain a document. However, it has its drawbacks, so many employees prefer to maintain 2 versions: paper as the main one and electronic as the secondary one.

Most often, the online version is run in MS Excel, which adds several conveniences:

• document control;
• confidentiality;
• urgent search and generation of copies of documents and certificates;
• quick printing of past documentation.

Correctly filling out the log helps improve the functioning of the enterprise. It is confirmation of all documents. The journal is allowed to be compiled in any form and then stored in the archive.

Approval procedure

To approve the journal, you need an order from the director, clarifying the following nuances:

• Which option for maintaining a document - in the form of a paper journal or on electronic media?
• Who exactly is responsible for maintaining this book?
• form of the document in question

The person responsible for maintaining the book is also responsible for ensuring that all mentioned contracts and agreements between the company and its employees are in the original and in complete safety. This employee must be familiar with the order and sign for it.

How to register additional agreements to an employment contract - Human Resources Management

An employment contract is an agreement between an employer and an employee, in which one party provides work (hires) in accordance with the law, and the other party undertakes to perform this work efficiently and on time, receiving wages for it. The document ensures working conditions in accordance with the standards of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

The employment contract is drawn up in two copies (with the seal and signature of the manager, passport data and signature of the employee) with one issued to the hired employee against signature. The second is filed in a personal file. This requirement is mandatory regardless of the type of work - main or part-time. If the enterprise keeps a log of employment contracts, then the employee’s signature is placed in the appropriate column.

How to keep such a journal{q} The registration book can be kept in paper or electronic form.

If there is a discrepancy between records on paper and electronic media, preference is given to paper ones.

On paper

How to prepare a logbook{q} The pages must be numbered, the book is bound and certified with the seal and signature of the manager. Although the form can be arbitrary, there is a minimum required list of columns that allows you to enter the necessary data and quickly find the document.

An example of filling out a journal for registering employment contracts

If the organization has contract employees, then it is necessary to provide a separate column for their registration, or you can make a corresponding entry in the notes. Also, some larger enterprises introduce columns for recording positions and structural units.

On a separate page, a record is made of the appointment of the responsible person - full name, date and order number, position. The last page contains information about the closing date of the journal, order number, date of deposit in the archive.

If the employee responsible for maintaining the book discovers incorrect filling or other errors, then this journal ends early. A corresponding entry is made about this, an order is issued, and the book is handed over to the archives.

The main advantage of keeping a journal in electronic form is the ability to quickly search and enter information. It is convenient to keep records not in Word, but in MS Excel (accounting in tabular form).

Electronic document management capabilities:

• speed and accessibility of document search;
• optimization of work with personnel;
• control of registration and storage of documents;
• maintaining confidentiality;
• reducing labor costs;
• saving primary documents (forms, autobiographies, statements, etc.) in electronic form;
• generation upon request of copies of orders and various types of statements.

The employee’s personal card (form T-2) is maintained in electronic form. The information supplied to it is constantly updated. But in some cases, where personal signatures of the employee and the HR employee are needed, the card is duplicated on paper.

The program must provide for the impossibility of moving numbers. Although the second copy of the employment contract is given to the employee, taking into account those who quit, it is necessary to prevent possible fraud and other types of fraud on the part of the employer by putting pressure on the HR department employees. At the end of the year, the magazine is printed with numbering, bound, sealed and deposited.

Personnel records for registering additional agreements can also be conducted in a separate journal. The suggested form for this document is as follows:

• the first column is a number reflecting the order in which documents are listed;
• second – the date of conclusion of the agreement is indicated;
• third – the serial number of the agreement is indicated;
• fourth – surname (in full), initials abbreviated;
• fifth – the employee’s position and type of work are indicated;
• sixth - the department in which the employee is registered;
• seventh – indicate the number and number of the employment contract;
• eighth – indicates the start date of the agreement and the period of its validity;
• ninth - a summary of the agreement;
• tenth – note.

These columns are located on two expanded pages.

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The title page is filled out by the person in charge of personnel records. It indicates the name of the organization and the start and end date of journaling. As a sample for filling out the journal of employment agreements for employment contracts, you can use the above option, but keep in mind that missing columns can be entered in information arbitrarily.

In each organization, all documentation that is concluded during the work process must be recorded in a special accounting book. In this notebook it is necessary to record all data relating to the creation, acceptance and validity of additional agreements and contracts (including outsourcing agreements for the provision of personnel).

This accounting concerns such documentation as employment contracts (including those issued for minor employees), additional agreements and orders. Maintaining such a notebook is not the responsibility of the employer, but it facilitates the work of the personnel officer in terms of searching for additional information and recording documentation.

Employment contracts and agreements thereto must be kept in the company’s files or archives for 75 years.

All employment contracts placed on file must be registered in a special journal, which is assigned a number according to the nomenclature.

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General information

Not a single legal act stipulates the obligation of employers to keep registration journals other than the labor record book, which, in fact, is also a registration journal. However, the Federal Labor Service requires registration of all documents that are of a reference nature.

In addition, the transfer of closed cases to the archive is carried out strictly according to the inventory. The registration journal can be taken as a basis for drawing up an inventory, since it contains chronological information about the contracts included in the case.

However, supervisory authorities or other organizations may need a copy of the agreement or an extract from it. And if the employee for whom the certificate is required was fired many years ago {q} In the absence of a log, you will need to rummage through the entire archive until the necessary document is found. While using the magazine you can quickly find the volume you need.

As a result, we conclude that the main task of the registration journal is to record employment contracts in the company and additional information. agreements to them.

Cases of registration

The registration journal is opened simultaneously with the registration of a new case according to the nomenclature. According to the paperwork instructions, a file can contain a maximum of 250 sheets.

Once the case is full, it is closed (the end date is written on the title page). A log book is attached to the case. After a new volume has been started, a new logbook needs to be completed.

Important: serial numbers in the journal begin from 1 at the beginning of the new year. But you can continue them, because there are no strict requirements in this regard in any legal act.

Who issues {q}

The responsibility for maintaining personnel files, including the preparation of registration logs, lies with the company employee, who, by order of the director, is obliged to maintain personnel records.

This may be a full-time personnel officer or another specialist (including part-time):

• secretary;
• clerk;
• lawyer, etc.

If the enterprise is small, the business can be run by the manager or entrepreneur himself.

Document structure

The magazine has the following structure:

1. title page;
2. table.

The title page should contain:

• name of the company (individual entrepreneur or full name of the individual employer);
• structural unit (HR department);
• case number according to nomenclature and volume number;
• title (“Journal of registration of employment contracts”);
• journal start date (when a new case is opened);
• end date (fits into the day the case is closed);
• number of sheets in the magazine;
• shelf life (75 years);
• place of registration (settlement: city, village, urban settlement, etc.).

The magazine itself is formatted as a table with columns:

• serial number;
• agreement date;
• Full name of the employee;
• employee's position;
• Department;
• note.

The sequence number starts from 1 or continues. The date of the contract is the actual date specified in the contract, and not the date of starting work or signing the contract. You can indicate the presence of an additional agreement in the note. Just extra. the agreement can be attached to the contract or invested in another matter, but in the journal it is necessary to write down which one, indicating the serial number.

In practice, there are numbers of simple two-digit or fractional numbers, alphanumeric combinations. The numbering of employment contracts is used by persons:

• To enter data about the contract with the employee into the employment order and work book.
• When drawing up an additional agreement to an employment contract.
• For reference to the document in the covering letter when issuing a copy of the contract.
• When compiling a list of copies of documents for submitting the document to the judicial authorities.
• When transferring documents to the archive as part of normal document flow or after the liquidation of the enterprise.

Indicating the abbreviation “b/n” in the details is not convenient for recording data. The most common option is to use the serial number of the contract indicating the month and year of the document.

• Themes:
• HR records management
• Personnel events

Question Our organization maintains a log of employment contracts. Is it also necessary to register additional agreements to employment contracts? If yes, then how to number them{q} Employment contracts have continuous numbering.

Is it necessary to register additional agreements{q} If yes, then they need to be recorded in one journal along with employment contracts{q} Answer It is not necessary to register additional agreements in any journal. Labor legislation does not provide for the need to number additional agreements to employment contracts.

Alteration

Making any corrections if there is an inaccuracy or error in filling out is strictly prohibited.

In this situation, the personnel officer is obliged to close the journal. The reason for early closure is indicated on the final sheet of the document. The journal itself is stitched, a seal is installed on it, and the document is sent to the archive.

If additional changes need to be made regarding a specific employee, there should be columns for this. Changes may concern several details:

1. Removal from an existing position.
2. Change in work conditions.
3. Transfer of this employee to another position, change of department, unit, team

For these changes there may be a separate column or even a separate page where all changes are made indicating the date, number of the original contract and other details.

Form and journal maintenance of additional agreements to employment contracts

https://www.youtube.com/watch{q}v=DQT2Q3WuG_w

In order to create convenience and a minimum of paper documents, logs of agreements and employment contracts are stored in the archive.

If you need to issue a certificate of your previous place of work or resolve any other important issue related to the preparation of documentation for employment, then a registration journal will be appropriate. Also, entries made in the journals indicate that the employee worked at this enterprise for a certain time.

If HR officers make a mistake when filling out the journal, for example, instead of a serial number, an entry is made with the number of a direct contract, the document can be canceled with an administrative document for the enterprise and a new one can be created. This won't be a big mistake.

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The employee responsible for maintaining the journal can choose a convenient form of maintaining it, depending on the information that will be taken into account in this journal. When such an employee is dismissed, an entry is made in the book about the new responsible person. The journal also contains the name of the organization, the beginning and end of the accounting period.

The registration book determines the number of concluded employment contracts. It is possible to monitor the execution of each. This data simplifies the preparation of statistical reporting at the enterprise.

The reasons for changing the contract may be different:

• transfer to another job;
• change of owner;
• suspension from work;
• change in working conditions.

In case of significant changes in contracts, an additional agreement is drawn up and entered in the registration journal in the appropriate column. For convenience, the additional agreement is assigned a number consisting of the contract number / serial number of the agreement with a specific employee.

In this case, it is convenient to create a separate page for each employee, where the employment contract and additional agreements according to the order of conclusion will be indicated (No. 1, 2, 3, etc.).

If the employee does not agree with the changes in working conditions, the employer must make an offer (in writing) of another job according to his qualifications, and in the absence of such qualifications, offer a lower-paid job or a lower position. With the written consent of the employee, an additional agreement to the employment contract with new working conditions is drawn up. All requirements for drawing up and recording additional agreements are the same as for employment contracts.

For ease of record keeping and quick search for the required additional agreement, large enterprises with a large number of employees maintain a separate book - a log of registration of additional agreements.

Maintaining a separate book for additional agreements is not necessary. You can enter this information into the main journal by providing a separate column for this. However, if there are several such changes to the agreement, then introducing them there will be problematic. In this sense, the electronic version wins.

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The procedure for registering and numbering contracts is similar to the procedure for employment contracts. An enterprise has the right to keep one book for registering contracts and employment agreements, but it is possible to create two journals with separate numbering.

It is very convenient not to have continuous numbering, but by date, indicating the serial number for that day. For example, 01/15-2, then it is clear that the contract was drawn up on 01/15. This approach is justified for the personnel departments of large enterprises, when the appearance of a new contract throws the personnel officer into a stupor - it was drawn up a long time ago, but came into hands only now, and no number has been assigned to it. Then the document is simply numbered with the date of conclusion - and the problem is solved.

Filling example

One of the standard filling options looks like this (see Table 1).

Many organizations keep a separate book for fixed-term and open-ended employment agreements.

Video about firmware rules:

What to write in a journal?

There is no strict format that would be defined by law. Each organization independently decides how to properly design the magazine.

It is most convenient to write down the following notes:

• Date of conclusion of the contract, number.
• Employee initials.
• The position held by the employee.
• What kind of work does it do?
• Structural subdivision.
• For fixed-term contracts, the date when the term expires.
• A place for the employee’s signature, which indicates that he received a copy of the agreement.

There is no need to strictly include all of the above; each company chooses independently those items that it will introduce.

Storing the log in question

The journal of registration of employment contracts is one of those types of books that must be kept in the archive for at least 75 years. They often become in demand when receiving, completing the necessary documents and transferring them to the pension fund to confirm that a given employee worked in this organization at a specific time. It is important that the magazine is stitched and sealed.

The presence of the journal in question will be a full-fledged legal confirmation of all contracts, as well as employment agreements for a long time, even after the dismissal of the employee.

Is it necessary to lead and what is it for?

Only work books are subject to mandatory registration; additional agreements are registered at the discretion of the employer (we separately talked about the log of work books, as well as their issuance). However, there are several reasons to treat the employment contract logbook carefully:

1. The GIT (Labor and Employment) Service, when conducting an inspection, is necessarily interested in the presence of this magazine.
2. There are general rules for document management, which state that any document must be subject to registration.
3. The journal of employment contracts is included in the List of standard management documents.
4. A careless attitude to registration of contracts on the part of a personnel specialist threatens the emergence of troubles and disagreements with regulatory authorities.

A HR specialist needs to understand that maintaining such a record book is not at all a whim of the manager and not a waste of time. There may be many situations in which an employment contract log will be useful.

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For example, if a conflict between an employer and a dismissed employee results in the latter filing a lawsuit, the presence of a logbook will predispose the judge in favor of the company.

Another situation is if a former employee of the company approaches a HR employee with a request to issue a certificate of previous employment. If the enterprise has an accounting book, this will not be difficult to do.

In any case, storing one journal is much easier than a huge stack of documents, which are also often mixed, which makes searching for the necessary paper a long and very exhausting procedure.

Major errors in design

A variety of mistakes are made during registration. The most common one is that inexperienced personnel officers write in the first column not the serial number of the record, but the number of the employment agreement.

Even small errors in dates and in the full spelling of the name of the employing organization lead to the closure of the journal. It is necessary to notify the manager, who will approve the new journal by order.

Personnel opinion

Most HR workers are inclined to believe that this document is not just a necessity in the HR department - it greatly facilitates the work of the HR manager.

It turns out that all information on employees and contracts concluded with them is stored in one place. This is convenient both for searching for information and for issuing the necessary information and certificates.

The book on accounting and registration of employment contracts is a special accounting document that allows you to monitor all employment contracts and agreements, make changes and resolve conflict situations between the employee and the employer. This is a convenient form of accounting that allows HR officers to have all the necessary information at hand at any time. To access this information over a long period of time, the organization is required to store the already closed document for 75 years.

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What is it for?

Although the book (magazine) in which employment contracts are registered is an optional document, most organizations do not refuse to maintain it. This fact can be explained by the fact that this significantly saves space that the organization would spend on storing all labor agreements nearby, as well as for more efficient work of the HR department.

The list of advantages that having a work journal has includes:

• Convenience, if this document is available, it will help to sort out controversial situations when there are court proceedings, it helps to confirm that there was an employment relationship with the employee.
• You can quickly find and process this or that information about a person’s field of work, activity, dates of hiring, etc.
• In the line with notes indicate information regarding the work that the employee does, aspects of this topic

The log helps you track the following:

• On what day was the employment contract concluded?
• Does the employee have a contract in hand?
• The date on which the employee’s employment ends. If the contract is called a fixed-term contract, you need to mark this information in the journal. In this case, a person from the HR department will be able to notify the person on time that the contract is rapidly approaching its end.

If not, then the agreement will be re-qualified as an agreement concluded for an indefinite period.

There is a law that states that if neither party has any claims or requests to terminate the contract, and the person continues to work, then such a condition as the term ceases to apply.