Paper Management & Filing Systems Flashcards

Which shredder cut type provides the HIGHEST level of security for sensitive documents?

Answer: Micro-cut

Micro-cut shredders produce the smallest particles, making reconstruction of shredded documents virtually impossible.

A small business client needs to retain employee payroll records. What is the federally recommended minimum retention period?

Answer: 3 years

The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to retain payroll records for at least 3 years.

When digitizing paper files, which metadata element is MOST critical for future searchability?

Answer: Descriptive file name including date and subject

A descriptive filename with date and subject allows documents to be found by keyword search without opening each file.

A client stores all financial papers in one large box unsorted. To prioritize what gets filed first, a CPO should focus on:

Answer: Current-year actionable financial documents

Current-year actionable documents (unpaid bills, pending tax documents) carry immediate consequences if lost, making them the highest priority.

Which statement BEST describes the 'one-touch' rule in paper management?

Answer: Handle each piece of paper only once by deciding its fate immediately upon picking it up

The one-touch rule means making an immediate decision (act, file, recycle, or toss) the first time you pick up a paper, preventing re-handling.

For a home filing system, which document category should be stored in a fireproof safe or safety deposit box?

Answer: Birth certificates, wills, and property deeds

Vital and irreplaceable legal documents must be protected from fire, flood, and theft in a secure, fireproof location.

A CPO notices a client re-files the same documents multiple times into different folders. This behavior MOST likely indicates:

Answer: The filing categories don't align with the client's thinking style

Repeated misfiling signals that the category names or structure don't match how the client naturally thinks about those documents.