Key points
- Keep one record per worker, with every document attached to it.
- Store each expiry as a date in its own field, not only as a line on a scan.
- Have a person review every upload before it counts as evidence.
- Work from one dated list, and keep renewals as new versions.
Problems with worker documents rarely start with one big decision. They start with small gaps: a passport copy in one inbox, a medical result on a clerk's desktop, a permit date in a spreadsheet that nobody has opened since the last renewal round.
None of these gaps looks serious on its own. Together they mean that when a client, an auditor or your own manager asks "is this worker in order?", the honest answer is "let me check". This article describes a routine that closes those gaps. It works with a spreadsheet and a shared drive, and it works better with a system built for it. If your records are still in Excel, start with how to clean a worker spreadsheet before you import it or read when a spreadsheet stops being enough.
Start with one record per worker
Every worker needs one place where their facts live. Not a folder per document type, and not a message thread per employer client. One record, found by the worker's name, that holds:
- identity and travel facts, such as passport number, validity and who is holding the passport
- work authorisation, such as the permit and its expiry
- medical examination results and dates
- employment facts: the employer client, start date and current status
- the documents that back each of those facts
The test is simple. A colleague who has never handled this worker should be able to open the record and answer "what do we hold, and what is missing?" without asking anyone.
Record the date, not just the document
A scanned permit does not tell you when it expires. A person has to open it, read it and remember. That is the step that fails during a busy month.
Keep each expiry as a date in its own field, next to the document it came from. Then the date can be sorted, filtered and counted, and the document stays as the evidence behind it.
The dates worth tracking differ by country, pass type and employer, so follow the rules that apply to your workers. Singapore's work permit renewal checklist is one worked example. Most agencies end up tracking at least these:
- passport validity
- work permit or pass expiry
- medical examination date and result
- insurance and other cover that must stay in force
Put a person between "uploaded" and "counted"
A file in the folder is not the same as a document in order. Someone should look at each upload and confirm four things:
- It is the right worker.
- It is the right type of document.
- It is legible and complete.
- The dates on it match the dates in the record.
Until that check is done, treat the document as waiting, not as evidence. If it fails the check, record why, so the next person does not upload the same file again.
Work from a list, not from memory
Once dates are data, you can ask the useful question: what needs attention, and by when? Set how many days ahead each category should warn you. A passport might warn earlier than a medical result, because renewing it takes longer.
Then work from one list, sorted by date, with each item showing its reason: an expiry coming up, a document waiting for review, a requirement with no evidence yet. A few habits keep that list honest:
- Give every item one owner.
- Clear an item by fixing it at the source: upload the new document or update the record, not by ticking a box.
- Review the list at the same time each week.
Keep the history when things change
Renewals are normal. What causes trouble later is an overwritten file. When a permit is renewed, keep the old document and add the new one as a newer version, with the date it was added and who added it.
That history answers the questions that come up months later: what did we hold on that date, and when did the new document arrive?
Where Worker Vault fits
Worker Vault is built around this routine. Each worker has one record with their passport, work permit and medical facts. Uploaded documents wait in a Needs review list until a person approves them, and corrections keep version history.
Items that need attention appear in the Work Queue, each with its reason, such as an expiry warning or a document awaiting review. The Expiry forecast report looks ahead up to 12 months, so renewals can be planned rather than discovered. Warning periods are set per compliance category in your workspace settings.
Worker Vault assesses the evidence you record against the rules configured for your workspace, so the list your team works from reflects your own records.
A weekly checklist
- Every new worker has one record, with documents attached and the recruitment file handed over at deployment.
- Every expiry is a date in a field, not only a line on a scan.
- Every uploaded document has been reviewed by a person.
- This week's list has an owner against each item.
- Renewed documents were added as new versions, not replaced.
If you would like to see how this looks for your own agency, book a demo and we will walk through it with your workflow.
If a term in the workflow needs a plain definition, use the recruitment and worker record glossary.
See your workers, documents and deadlines in one place
Book a demo and we will walk through how your agency would run recruitment and worker records in Worker Vault.
