#2026-031Deliberation No. 2026-031 of 29 January 2026 adopting a reference framework on data retention periods for human resources processing
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The French CNIL has formally adopted an official reference framework (référentiel) that establishes recommended and maximum data retention periods for personal data processed in human resources management. This document provides concrete retention timelines for various categories of HR data including recruitment files, employment contracts, payroll, performance evaluations, disciplinary records, training data, and health-related information. Organizations subject to French data protection law must align their internal data retention policies with this framework to comply with the principles of data minimization and storage limitation under the GDPR and the French Data Protection Act. The full detailed tables are available on the CNIL website. The Deliberation was published on 2 April 2026.
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Key Changes
- Adoption of official CNIL reference framework setting maximum retention periods for HR personal data
- Mandatory alignment of company internal policies with the new CNIL retention schedules for GDPR compliance
- Specific retention rules defined for recruitment files, employment contracts, payroll, performance reviews and disciplinary records
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Obligations
What this law requires
Align internal data retention policies for performance evaluations with the maximum retention periods specified in the CNIL reference framework
Adopt and implement the CNIL reference framework (référentiel) for HR data retention periods as established in Deliberation No. 2026-031
Align internal data retention policies for recruitment files with the maximum retention periods specified in the CNIL reference framework
Align internal data retention policies for employment contracts with the maximum retention periods specified in the CNIL reference framework
Align internal data retention policies for payroll records with the maximum retention periods specified in the CNIL reference framework