It is the policy of the ACPE that all business records shall be kept no longer than the period necessary for the proper conduct of company business (see ACPE Records Retention/Destruction Guidelines). This policy shall cover all business records of the ACPE, including written, printed and recorded matter and electronic forms of records, including email messages in personal folders. Employees shall review their electronic files regularly and delete them where appropriate to ensure compliance with this policy. These guidelines shall be reviewed annually to ensure consistency with legal requirements of other regulatory bodies.
If a lawsuit, governmental investigation or subpoena is filed, served, or appears imminent, this policy may be suspended requiring that documents relating to the lawsuit or potential legal issue(s) or audits be retained. Once ACPE management or the Board of Directors receives notification that the policy has been suspended, all documents related to the subject in question must be retained rather than destroying them pursuant to the policy.
Document retention related to programs (Accreditation and Certification) are included within the policies of the specific area.