Businesses that deal with personal client information should definitely shred old documents. Private information is valuable, and many make money stealing other people’s personal data. But not all shredding is equal; it’s essential to know that sometimes documents can be reassembled after shredding. In order to keep this from happening, businesses should devote a section of their HR handbook to the proper protocol for shredding sensitive documents.

Here are four reasons your business should have a shredding protocol in place. 

1. Legal/HIPAA Compliance Issues

For some businesses, especially those that deal with medical information, securing client information is mandated by federal law. If proper measures aren’t taken to keep private information secure and the data is stolen, your business could be held liable for the breach. Your HR handbook should list the types of sensitive documents that need to be shredded, such as medical documents.

2. Protect Clients

When information is stolen from your offices, the burden often falls on your clients. After all, in the instance of a data breach, your clients are the ones whose identities get stolen. In order to keep their information safe, as well as bolstering a sense of trust between your clients and your business, make sure to create a guideline for document shredding for your employees.

3. Save Space

At the end of the day, there is only so much extra space that an office has to store paper documents. Even if you have a file room, documents accumulating over the years can eventually max out your space. In addition, too much paper within an office can be considered to be a fire hazard. It’s vital to limit the number of documents in your office to ensure the security of your client data and the safety of your in-office employees. 

4. Document Accessibility

No matter the service, many customers want the ease of accessing their documents online. Hosting documents online allows clients to view their own data anytime, anywhere. It’s also much easier to increase document security through password protection, firewalls, and restricted access. Additionally, in the wake of COVID-19 and hybrid work situations, having documents accessible from home is necessary for quarantine measures. A smart business protocol would be to scan the information into a hosting system and then shred the paper document. 

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Want to work with a company that has the highest security guarantee and shreds your documents on time every time? Contact us for a quote or more information on your company’s shredding options.