Federal Law Various federal laws require employers to keep certain kinds of records related to an individual's employment. For example, all employers must keep Forms I-9 (used to verify an employee's identity and employment authorization) for 3 years after the date of hire or one year after the date employment ends, whichever is later. The Fair Labor Standards Act specifies that payroll records should be kept for a minimum of 3 years. In order to comply with the law, it is important to understand what documents and forms must be collected, how long you need to keep information in your files, and any confidentiality rules that may apply. Please see Recordkeeping Requirements by Federal Law for detailed information about the federal requirements. States may also have specific recordkeeping requirements under wage and hour laws, employee safety and health (workers' compensation) statutes, and for unemployment purposes, as well as specific rules regarding confidentiality, employee access to files, and the disposal of records containing personal information.