Schedule No. 135* Electronic Mail Records
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Issued: July 2012
Updated: Jan. 1, 2023
General Description: All digital communications exchanged through the authorized City and County of Denver E-mail messaging systems, together with attached documents.
No record may be destroyed under this General Retention Schedule without the approval from the Records Department and the City and County of Denver’s Records Manager. Additionally, no record may be destroyed if the record is subject to an active litigation hold (refer to Executive Order 143-C). For additional information about the records program or records retention refer to Executive Order 143-B. The Records Management Program Policies and Procedures Manual for instruction about records creation, management, and disposition of individual records. The minimum retention periods specified in this schedule apply to the information contained within the record, regardless of the format of the record (paper, microfilm, electronic, etc.). Each agency must decide on the format for retention of each type of record, ensuring authenticity, readability, and accessibility for the entire retention period. Duplicate copies are NOT records. Copies that are created for administrative, convenience, reference or other purpose are NOT records and should be retained only until no longer useful. Electronic Records and Data must remain accessible, authentic, reliable, and useable through any kind of system change, update, or system end of life for the entire period of its retention, which shall be defined by information-type, as presented in this General Retention Schedule. Provided the data is an accurate representation of the information contained in the source documents from which the data was derived, the source documents need not be retained unless they contain other record information not contained in the electronic repository.
135.010* Electronic Mail Records
Electronic mail messages, regardless of whether such messages are produced or stored using city owned equipment or software (These include, but are not necessarily limited to, Microsoft Outlook, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) E-mail services, Blackberry, tablets pc such as I-Pad, or any other current or future electronic messaging technology or device) are excluded from the definition of ‘Records’ and do not need to be retained unless the recipient has previously segregated and stored such messages as evidence of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, or operations of the City and County of Denver government or because of the value of the official governmental data contained therein. Note: these are not to be considered external correspondence records. See Schedule 145 correspondence records.
- Government or Content Value
If email messages have been segregated and stored as evidence of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations of the City and County of Denver or because of the value of the official governmental data contained therein, the retention period is determined by the retention period specified for such content in applicable section(s) of this General Records Retention Schedule.
Retention: 30 days unless document is subject to be held for a longer period as defined in this General Records Retention Schedule. Employees who are out on leave of absence will be excluded from this policy for up to 30 days upon return to work.
- Other
All other email messages
Retention: Until read or 30 Days. Employees who are absent due to leave will be excluded from this policy for up to 30 days upon return to work.
- Email Attachments
Email attachments must be retained with like record series outside of the email system.
- Terminated/Separated employees
All email communication.
Retention: 30 Days after last day employed unless subject to current, outstanding, or pending litigation/governing hold.
135.020* MICROSOFT TEAMS RECORDS
Note: these are not to be considered external correspondence records (Schedule No.145).
- One on One (1:1) Chats, Private Chats (chats and notes from the employee to the employee)
Retention: 30 Days. Employees who are absent due to leave will be excluded from this policy for up to 30 days upon return to work.
- Group (1:many) Chats
Retention: 30 Days. Employees who are absent due to leave will be excluded from this policy for up to 30 days upon return to work.
- Collaboration Spaces
Records include TEAMS channels chats and communication posts.
Retention: 1 Year after last update, unless excluded by regulation or operational need.
- Terminated/Separated employees
All chats, communication.
Retention: 30 Days after last day employed unless subject to current, outstanding, or pending litigation/governing hold
Cross References
Electronic Mail Records, Schedule 135*
Electronic Records in General, 55.040* – Information Technology Records Legal Communications, 145.030* – Litigation and Legal Counsel Records