Personnel file with enaio: the digital HR file in the DMS
A personnel file with enaio is the digital personnel file in the enaio document management system. Every employee has a file with registers and document types to which access rights, index data, workflows and deletion periods are attached.
AWP Consult sets up the enaio personnel file as a certified enaio partner since 2006, from the file plan through the permission concept with works council and data protection to the connection to DATEV, SAP or Microsoft Dynamics 365. We summarise the legal basis of the digital personnel file on a dedicated page. This page is about the implementation in enaio.
250+
completed projects since 2006
150+
reference customers in the DACH region
12 to 18
months average payback period
View by roleExample concept
HR departmentManagerEmployees
Personnel fileFolder with six registers
- Contractedit
- Payedit
- Qualificationedit
- Timeedit
- Healthtightly restricted
- Exitedit
Rights per register and document type, every access logged
Key points at a glance
- A personnel file with enaio is an electronic personnel file in the enaio document management system in which each employee's documents are filed by register and document type, with rights, index data and deletion rules attached to these types.
- The enaio object model has three levels: the folder as the top level, registers in between and documents as the lowest level. In the personnel file the folder corresponds to one person's file.
- Under § 83 (1) of the Betriebsverfassungsgesetz (BetrVG), employees may inspect their personnel file and consult a works council member. Under § 83 (2) BetrVG, their statements on the content must be added to the file on request.
- Where a works council exists, the introduction is subject to co-determination under § 87 (1) no. 6 BetrVG. For religious communities and their charitable and educational institutions the BetrVG does not apply under § 118 (2), where the staff representation must be involved under church law.
- As accounting documents, payslips must be retained for eight years under § 147 Abgabenordnung (AO), counted from the end of the calendar year in which they were created.
- AWP Consult connects the personnel file in enaio with DATEV, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Sage or proALPHA and with the digital salary portal, so that master data is maintained in only one place.
Sounds right for your company? Let us talk about it.
What is a personnel file with enaio?
A personnel file with enaio is not a separate HR software but a file application in the enaio document management system. It handles filing, search, rights, workflows and audit-proof archiving of the personnel documents, while payroll and time recording remain in your existing systems and supply their master data through interfaces.
The HR department works in the same environment in which many companies already keep invoices, contracts and correspondence, in the client or in the browser via the enaio webclient. The file is therefore accessible in the office, in the home office and on the move, with the same rights as at the workplace. Whether you speak of an employee file, an electronic HR file or HR document management, in enaio the same basic framework of file, registers, document types and rules sits behind it all.
One platform for all files
The personnel file, contract management and invoice archive follow the same rules for retention, search and access.
Audit-proof personnel file
Documents are filed unchangeably as in archiving software. Changes are versioned, accesses logged.
Rights down to document types
The permission concept defines which role may see which register and which document type.
AI that respects rights enaio lumee answers questions about documents and takes all access rights into account. A blocked document does not feed into the answer.
See the personnel file in enaio live
In the HR demo we show a configured personnel file in enaio and go through with you which registers, roles and periods your company needs.
- File, registers and document types
- Rights per role to click through
- Connection to your payroll system
How is the personnel file with enaio built technically?
Technically the personnel file with enaio is an object model with three levels. The folder forms one person's file, registers structure it by topics such as Contract or Pay, and documents form the lowest level. Each level is its own object type with index fields, rights and rules.
| Level in enaio | What it holds | What you define |
|---|---|---|
| Folder: the personnel file | One file per employee with master data such as personnel number, name, organisational unit and the dates of entry and exit | Which master data comes from the payroll system and which field makes the file unique |
| Register | Topic areas such as application, contract, pay, qualification, absence, measures, health and exit | The structure of the file and which roles can see a register at all |
| Document | Individual documents with a document type, such as employment contract, payslip or reference letter | Document types, mandatory fields and which documents a workflow requests |
| Index data | Fields per object type, for example document date, valid until or confidentiality level | Search fields, mandatory fields and values taken from the master data |
| Rules | Rights, follow-up reminders, retention and deletion per document type | The start event and duration of each period and the role that confirms deletions |
Example structure. Registers and document types in enaio follow your file plan, not a fixed template.
Why document types matter more than registers
Registers organise the file for people, document types control it for the system.
Finer rights
Within one register, document types can be authorised differently, for example training records visible to the manager and reference letters only for the HR department.
Separate periods
Each document type carries its own retention rule. A payslip and an application in the same file need completely different periods and start events.
Fast disclosure
Using the personnel number and document type, enaio compiles a person's documents for a disclosure under Art. 15 GDPR, including from secondary filings that were transferred into the file.
How is the personnel file with enaio set up?
The personnel file with enaio is set up in six building blocks: index data with master data matching, permission concept, inbox, HR workflows, periods with deletion, and access routes. Each building block is agreed with the HR department, works council and data protection before configuration.
Talk through the setup in advance
We go through the six building blocks with the HR department, works council and data protection and show how they look in enaio.
Request a consultation +49 6104 94738-1301
Index data and master data matching
The key to every personnel file is usually the personnel number. It comes from the payroll or HR system, as do the name, organisational unit, cost centre and the dates of entry and exit. enaio takes these fields into the folder of the file, and documents receive them when they are filed.
Before the start we clarify which system prevails in case of discrepancies. A proven approach is to change master data only in the payroll system and transfer it to enaio.
- Mandatory fieldsPersonnel number, document type and document date, without which no filing is possible
- Derived fieldsOrganisational unit and cost centre from the master record, so that rights apply by area
- Event fieldsExit date and rejection date, from which periods start later
Practical tip
Before the project, check whether personnel numbers are reassigned on rehiring. That determines whether a person gets one or several files.
02
Permission concept in enaio
Rights are not granted person by person but through roles and groups bound to registers and document types. The HR department reads and edits the files in its area of responsibility, managers read only the released document types of their team. Under Art. 9 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), health data belongs to the special categories and therefore sits in its own register with a very narrow group of people.
Because organisational unit and cost centre are attached to the file as index data, the rights follow automatically when someone changes department. Every access is logged in the audit trail.
- HR department complete files for its own area of responsibility
- Manager released document types of their own team
- Works council only where the concept and works agreement provide for it
- Stand-in time-limited, with its own boundaries and logged
Practical tip
Test the concept with test users for each role before the first real file is migrated. Otherwise errors in rights only surface when someone sees something they are not allowed to see.
03
Inbox: scan, email and upload
Paper is scanned with enaio capture. Separator sheets with a barcode for personnel number and document type ensure that a stack falls into the right files and registers without rework. The HR department files emails directly from Outlook and Microsoft 365 into the file.
External parties, such as the tax adviser or new employees before their first working day, upload documents via the AWP Link and Upload portal using a link and password, instead of sending them unencrypted by email.
Practical tip
Before scanning, define which documents stay in the original, for example fixed-term agreements subject to the written form requirement. For all others the TR-RESISCAN describes a regulated procedure.
04
HR workflows with enaio
Workflows connect file and process. During onboarding a workflow starts with the entry date, requests missing mandatory documents and reports when the file is complete.
Follow-up reminders flag the end of a fixed term, a probation period or expiring records, and subscriptions notify of new documents in a file. Our page on workflow management describes how processes are planned across the organisation.
- OnboardingMandatory documents complete before the first working day
- Contract changeDraft, approval, signature and filing in the Contract register
- Reference letterInput from the manager, approval by the HR department
- OffboardingBundle the exit steps, after which the periods start
Practical tip
Digitise first the process with the most queries, often onboarding. The benefit is then immediately visible to everyone involved.
05
Periods, deletion proposal and deletion log
Each document type receives a retention rule made up of duration and start event. For payslips as accounting documents, the period under § 147 (4) AO begins at the end of the calendar year in which the document was created and runs for eight years. Under § 147 (3) AO it also does not expire as long as the documents remain relevant for taxes whose assessment period has not yet ended.
Once a period is reached, enaio proposes deletion. An authorised person confirms it, the deletion is logged and the deletion record archived. For warnings, a follow-up reminder for review is more sensible than automatic deletion, because there is no fixed period. The overarching rules are on the page about document management under the GDPR.
Practical tip
In the first months, have deletion proposals confirmed by two people. That way you see early whether the start events and durations are really correct.
06
Access in the office, in the home office and on the move
The HR department works in the client or in the browser via the enaio webclient. Managers approve holiday requests or reference letter contributions in the browser, without a local installation.
enaio runs in your own data centre or via enaio Cloud Hosting in German data centres. For employees without access to enaio, the digital salary portal provides payslips and the digital learning portal provides training with proof of completion.
Practical tip
Plan enaio access for the people who work with files and portals for everyone else. Employees do not need access to enaio for their payslips.
How does a document get into the personnel file with enaio?
A document enters the personnel file with enaio in five steps. It arrives by scan, email, upload or interface, is assigned via personnel number and document type, is filed in the matching register, automatically receives rights and a period, and triggers a follow-up reminder where needed. Using the example of a signed contract change, it looks like this.
01
Receipt
The signed contract change comes back on paper and is scanned with a separator sheet whose barcode carries the personnel number and document type.
02
Assignment
enaio reads the barcode, finds the file for the personnel number and takes the name, organisational unit and cost centre from the folder. If the file is missing, the document lands in a clarification basket instead of in the wrong file.
03
Filing in the register
The document sits in the Contract register as the document type contract change. The filing is audit-proof.
04
Rights and period
With the document type, rights and retention rule take effect. The manager sees the change only if the concept provides for it. The period starts with the exit date as soon as it is set in the payroll system.
05
Follow-up step
If working hours change, a follow-up reminder prompts the check in the payroll system.
More on the processes around the file: applicant management and onboarding and enaio Workflow.
Schedule an HR demoWhat does the works agreement on the personnel file with enaio cover?
The works agreement on the personnel file with enaio covers the purpose and scope of the file, roles and rights, the evaluation of access logs, retention and deletion, interfaces, and inspection and rebuttal. Each of these points corresponds to a concrete setting in enaio that can be checked. The introduction is subject to co-determination under § 87 (1) no. 6 BetrVG, because according to case law the objective suitability of a system to monitor conduct or performance is already sufficient.
| Provision in the agreement | Implementation in enaio | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose and scope | Object type personnel file with defined registers and document types | File plan as an annex |
| Roles and rights | Groups per role, rights on registers and document types | Rights matrix as an annex |
| Evaluation of logs | Audit trail active, evaluation only for a specific reason by named persons | Defined procedure for the evaluation |
| Retention and deletion | Rule per document type with start event, deletion proposal and deletion log | Deletion concept and deletion records |
| Interfaces | Transfer of defined master data fields from the payroll system | Interface description with field list |
| Inspection and rebuttal | Inspection on screen, rebuttal as its own document type | Procedure under § 83 BetrVG |
Example, not legal advice. For religious communities and their charitable and educational institutions the BetrVG does not apply under § 118 (2). There the staff representation is involved under church law. More for organisations in the social economy at DMS for the social sector.
When does a deletion period start in the personnel file?
A deletion period in the personnel file starts with an event that enaio knows as an index value: the end of the calendar year for accounting documents, the rejection date for applications, the exit date for many contract documents, or a follow-up date when a review is needed first.
End of the calendar year
Payslips are accounting documents. The eight-year period under § 147 AO begins at the end of the year in which they were created. enaio calculates the deletion date from the document date.
Rejection date
There is no statutory retention period for the documents of rejected applicants. Many companies delete a few months after the rejection and take their guidance from the periods for claims under the Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz.
Exit date
Contract, qualification and absences are needed after the exit only as long as claims or obligations exist. The exit date comes from the payroll system and starts the period automatically.
Follow-up for review
There is no fixed period for warnings. Instead of deleting automatically, enaio creates a follow-up reminder, and the HR department decides case by case.
You agree the duration per document type with your tax adviser and data protection. In detail on periods and deletion rules: deletion concept in the DMS.
We will show you how this looks with enaio at your organisation.
Which systems can be connected to the enaio personnel file?
Payroll and ERP systems such as DATEV, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Sage and proALPHA can be connected to the enaio personnel file, along with Outlook and Microsoft 365 for filing from the mailbox and the AWP Consult portals for payslips, training and the exchange with external parties. Which fields flow is set out in the interface description. You will find technical details at enaio interfaces.
DATEV
Payslips and payroll documents from DATEV land in the right file and in the Pay register, without renaming and moving files.
DATEV and enaioSAP
Personnel data and documents are linked via the SAP interface and are accessible from both systems.
enaio SAP interfaceDynamics 365, Sage, proALPHA
These systems also supply master data and documents. We check your interface before the project starts.
Dynamics 365 and enaioOutlook and Microsoft 365
The HR department files certificates and correspondence directly from the mailbox into the file.
Outlook integrationDigital salary portal
Employees receive payslips and income tax statements in a personal area and are notified as soon as a document is available.
Digital salary portalDigital learning portal
Instructions online with a knowledge check. Certificates can be filed directly in the personnel file.
Digital learning portalWhat matters when comparing enaio with DocuWare or d.velop?
When comparing enaio with DocuWare, d.velop or other document management systems for the personnel file, five verifiable points count for more than long feature lists: the granularity of rights, periods with a start event, the connection to your payroll system, the operating model, and the question of whether the platform should later carry further files. It is best to test with your own sample documents.
| Criterion | Test question for each system | How we show it in enaio |
|---|---|---|
| Rights | Can rights be granted down to document types and for individual registers such as Health? | Rights matrix with test users per role in the demo |
| Periods | Does a period start with an event such as exit or rejection, and is the deletion logged? | Document type with retention rule, deletion proposal and deletion log |
| Payroll system | Is there a proven connection to your payroll or ERP system? | Interfaces to DATEV, SAP, Dynamics 365, Sage or proALPHA |
| Operation | Own data centre, cloud or both, and where does the data reside? | On-premises operation or enaio Cloud in German data centres |
| Platform | Will the system later also carry invoices, contracts and further files? | One platform for personnel, contract and project files |
Detailed comparisons: enaio and DocuWare compared and enaio and d.velop compared.
Unsure where to start? We will assess your starting position.
Schedule an initial consultation +49 6104 94738-13What do the costs of a personnel file with enaio depend on?
The costs of a personnel file with enaio depend above all on five factors: the number and type of access accounts, the chosen enaio modules, the operating model in your own data centre or in the cloud, the scope of interfaces and workflows, and the volume of paper files to be digitised.
For licensing, what matters above all is who works with the files: the HR department, payroll accounting and managers with approvals. Employees who only retrieve their payslips are reached via the salary portal without access to enaio. How the licence model is structured is explained on the page about the enaio licence, and further cost factors are described on enaio costs.
Access accounts
HR department, payroll accounting and managers with approvals
Modules for example enaio webclient, enaio capture for scanning or enaio lumee for questions about documents
Operating model own data centre or enaio Cloud
Interfaces and workflows
Payroll system, Outlook, portals, onboarding and offboarding
Legacy stock
Scanning of all paper files or gradually from a cut-off date
Payback
With AWP Consult customers, an implementation pays for itself on average after 12 to 18 months, measured across more than 40 companies.
Which mistakes happen most often with the personnel file in enaio?
The most common mistakes arise not in the software but in the concept and the data: rights only on whole files, unclear personnel numbers, periods without a start event, master data maintained in duplicate, unchecked legacy stock, and a works council involved too late. All six can be avoided before go-live.
01
Rights only on whole files
- Consequence
- Managers see everything or nothing, and approval in the works council becomes difficult.
- Better
- Grant rights on registers and document types and test with test users for each role.
02
Personnel number not unique
- Consequence
- On rehiring or a change of company, duplicate files arise and documents land in the wrong file.
- Better
- Define in advance which field makes the file unique and set up a clarification basket for documents that cannot be assigned.
03
Periods without a start event
- Consequence
- Deletion proposals never come or come at the wrong time.
- Better
- Take the exit and rejection date from the payroll or applicant system.
04
Master data maintained in two systems
- Consequence
- Differing organisational units lead to wrong rights.
- Better
- Change master data only in the payroll system and transfer it to enaio.
05
Legacy stock scanned unchecked
- Consequence
- High effort for documents that should long since have been deleted.
- Better
- Before scanning, check periods and destroy expired documents in a data protection compliant way.
06
Works council informed only at go-live
- Consequence
- Renegotiation, rebuilding of roles and reworking of log evaluation.
- Better
- Involve the works council from the file plan onwards and develop the works agreement in parallel with the configuration.
Sounds right for your company? Let us talk about it.
How does the implementation of the personnel file with enaio work?
The implementation of the personnel file with enaio runs in five phases: analysis with the HR department, works council and data protection; the concept with file plan, rights and periods; configuration with interfaces and workflows; testing with training; and finally go-live with support. Each phase ends with an approved result. It starts with a clearly defined area, followed by targeted expansion.
01
Analysis
We record document types, filing locations, responsibilities and interfaces, with the HR department, works council and data protection at the table.
02
Concept
The file plan, permission concept and periods per document type are defined and approved before configuration begins.
03
Configuration
Object types, registers, rights, interfaces to the payroll system and workflows are set up in enaio.
04
Testing and training
The departments test with test users for each role, followed by training for the HR department, managers and key users.
05
Go-live and support
Production start in the pilot area, migration of the legacy stock, ongoing support and expansion to further areas.
More on this: enaio implementation and training and support and maintenance
How long will it take at your organisation? We will estimate it together with you.
Request an estimate +49 6104 94738-13Plan a pilot area for the personnel file in enaio
Together with you we define which area you start with, which interfaces come first and how the paper stock is digitised.
Frequently asked questions about the personnel file with enaio
Your question about the personnel file in enaio is not here? Call us or write to us, we answer personally.
HR demo with your questions
We show the personnel file in enaio and go through registers, roles, periods and the connection to your payroll system together.
Schedule an HR demo +49 6104 94738-13What is a personnel file with enaio?
A personnel file with enaio is the digital personnel file in the enaio document management system. Every employee has a folder with registers and documents, to whose document types rights, index data and deletion rules are attached. Payroll and time recording remain in your existing systems and supply master data through interfaces.
Is the personnel file with enaio GDPR compliant?
enaio provides the means for it: rights down to document types, a dedicated register for health data under Art. 9 GDPR, deletion rules with a deletion log and an audit trail. Whether the file is GDPR compliant in the end is decided by the configuration. That is why we agree the permission and deletion concept with your data protection before setting it up.
Is the implementation of the personnel file in enaio subject to co-determination?
Yes, where a works council exists, under § 87 (1) no. 6 BetrVG, because the system is technically suited to monitoring conduct or performance. In practice a works agreement is concluded. For religious communities and their charitable and educational institutions the BetrVG does not apply under § 118 (2), where the staff representation is involved under church law.
Who may see which documents in the enaio personnel file?
This is governed by the permission concept. The HR department works with the complete files of its area, managers see only the released document types of their team, and the works council sees only what the works agreement provides for. Health data sits in its own register with a very narrow group of people. Every access is logged.
Can enaio be connected with DATEV and other payroll systems?
Yes. AWP Consult connects enaio to DATEV, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Sage and proALPHA. The payroll system supplies the personnel number, name, organisational unit and the dates of entry and exit, and payslips land in the Pay register of the right file. Which fields flow is set out in the interface description.
How long must payslips be retained in the personnel file?
Payslips are accounting documents and must be retained for eight years under § 147 AO. The period begins at the end of the calendar year in which they were created. It does not expire as long as the documents remain relevant for taxes whose assessment period is still running. enaio monitors the rule at the document type.
How does the personnel file with enaio help with a disclosure under Art. 15 GDPR?
All of a person's documents sit in one file and can be found via personnel number and document type. The disclosure can thus be compiled in a short time, instead of searching folders and drives. The one-month deadline under Art. 12 (3) GDPR remains manageable.
Can managers use the employee file in the browser?
Yes, via the enaio webclient, without a local installation. There, managers see only the document types of their team that the permission concept releases, and they handle approvals such as holiday requests or reference letter contributions.
May enaio lumee answer questions about personnel files?
enaio lumee answers questions about documents, summarises and compares. In doing so it takes all access rights into account, and a blocked document does not feed into the answer. Whether and for which roles AI functions are used in the personnel file should be defined with data protection and the works council and described in the works agreement.
What do the effort and costs of the personnel file with enaio depend on?
On the number and type of access accounts, the chosen modules, the operating model, the interfaces and workflows, and the paper stock. You receive a concrete quote after a short analysis via our contact form.
Which terms around the personnel file with enaio should you know?
The most important terms, briefly explained.
- Object type
- The blueprint for folders, registers or documents in enaio. It defines index fields, rights and rules.
- Folder
- The top level in the enaio object model. In the personnel file a folder stands for one person's file.
- Register
- The level between folder and document, such as Contract, Pay or Health. Registers organise the file for people.
- Document type
- A category such as employment contract or payslip, to which mandatory fields, rights and a retention rule are attached.
- Index data
- Descriptive fields such as personnel number, document date or organisational unit. They control search, rights and periods.
- Start event
- The date from which a retention period runs, such as exit, rejection or the end of the calendar year.
- Follow-up
- A scheduled reminder on a document, for example for the end of a fixed term or the review of a warning.
- Audit trail
- A complete log of who opened or changed which file or document and when.
Sources and legal basis
The legal statements on inspection, co-determination, retention and data protection, as well as the details on the object model, are based on these sources. Review status: October 2026.
- § 83 BetrVG Inspection of personnel files and statements by employees
- § 87 BetrVG Co-determination rights, (1) no. 6 on technical devices
- § 118 BetrVG No application to religious communities and their charitable and educational institutions
- § 147 AO Retention of accounting documents, start of the period under (4)
- General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 Official full text, including Art. 9, 15 and 17
- enaio developer documentation: system fields Object types folder, register and document
Related topics
Your personnel file, cleanly set up in enaio
In the HR demo we show you the personnel file in enaio and discuss the file plan, roles, periods and the connection to your payroll system.
- In person in Dietzenbach or online
- With HR department, works council and data protection
- Result: a proposal for your pilot area
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