Shredding your documents should be one of your top priorities when it comes to the business area. It is a very effective way with which you will be able to organize better, so always have it in mind. If you are the type of person who tends to keep every document, you should reconsider this for various reasons. Follow this article to see why it is important for you to shred your business documents.
Why should you shred your business documents?
Nowadays, every place of business collects and handles various sensitive information about employees, deals, and clients. Although in these modern times it is more likely that everything you do is stored inside computers and electronic document archives there is still a lot of paper to go around. So, considering document destruction in order to protect everyone you are working with is a very smart move and an effective way for organizing yourself better. Here are all the reasons that should convince you that shredding business documents is a smart idea.
- You will respect the law this way
First of all, there is the issue of the legality of you even keeping certain documents, meaning that you should legally have to destroy some papers. What comes to mind here is information regarding privacy and security and the legislation is getting more and more rigorous as it should be. The penalties you will face if you do not apply this rule to your business could be very severe depending on where you live. Apart from all that, keep in mind that it is also your duty to protect your customers’ both personal and security information. By mishandling these papers you could get them in danger, and that is the last thing you want.
- You will prevent identity theft by doing this
Millions of people across the world suffer from identity theft every year and you do not want to have the responsibility to explain to your clients why something like that happened. What you can do is simple, destroy the documents that could possibly lead to such things by shredding them and throwing them out once they are no longer needed. Also, while you do need these documents, make sure that you store them away so that no one but you, or your trusted assistants could reach them.
- You will also protect your customers
Apart from the reason mentioned above, there is much more information that could be dangerous if they get into the wrong hands and that is something you will want to protect your customers from. Not only their identities are written in the documents they deliver to you, but also things like credit card information, home address, sometimes information about the family (depending on what business you are in), etc. The same goes out for all of these documents because one mistake from you can cause a lot of trouble.
- You will also protect your employees
An important thing to remember is that your employees have the legal right to privacy just like you and your customers do, so make sure that their personal information is stationed safely, or destroyed in case they are no longer needed. Things like these cannot just be thrown away in the trash can because someone might come by and pick out something they could use for fraud or some other crime. This means that you are not ensuring the safety and protection your employees deserve because their identity and privacy are in jeopardy this way. Make sure you shred those papers so that no one interferes afterward. Here is a list of what you need to destroy for your employee’s safety:
- health records
- copies of photo IDs
- old pay stubs
- time cards
- voided checks
- social security cards
- You will save space this way
As it was mentioned before, this is a great way for you to organize yourself better within your work area. Saving space is always important and papers that usually pile up every day in the place of business can very quickly be something that will bother you and give you migraines. You should always ask yourself: Do I really need all those papers that are constantly piling up in my office? The answer will always be “No”.
As soon as you notice that the papers around you are creating an unbearable working area start shredding right away. Destroying unnecessary documents is a fantastic idea that will help you create a lot of extra space in your office for other papers that will surely come soon. Also, those new documents are always more important because of new information from employees and customers so you have to have them on hand and cannot mix them with old ones you do not need anymore. That is why shredding is the most effective way to create space around you.
What documents should you be shredding?
Now that you know how important it is for you to destroy all the documents that are piling up in your office and are creating a workspace you no longer want to visit, it is time for you to learn what types of papers are crucial for you to destroy. Here is a list of documents that must go through your shredder in order to run a successful business:
- voided checks
- employee pay stubs
- employment records
- tax returns
- bank statements
- photo IDs
- copies of the receipts made from sales
- information about credit cards
- all documents that contain sensitive information (name, address, phone numbers, emails)
There, you see what crucial tasks lay ahead of you in order to protect everyone you work with including employees, customers, business clients, business partners, etc. It is also very important for you to remember that the law requires you to destroy certain documents which means you will also be a law-abiding citizen by doing this. That way you will avoid any legal issues regarding identity theft or other information theft that might destroy your business, and your conscience will be clear. Also, there will be no piles of unnecessary papers inside your office that will only bother you all the time, and the work area will be way more wholesome, meaning you will be happier to work there and anyone walking in your office will also feel more comfortable. Start shredding today.