How it works
- HR uploads a file against an employee from Employee Documents or the Documents tab of the profile; both show the same records.
- Each upload can be up to 25 MB.
- When someone opens or downloads a file, ZeniaHR creates a fresh signed link that is valid for at most one hour.
- A link copied into an email or chat stops working once it expires, while the file itself stays safe in storage.
- Users with delete rights on documents can remove a file that should not be kept.
- The File Storage card in Settings lists stored files with their sizes, for upload, download and delete.
What you can set
- Maximum upload: 25 MB per file.
- Signed download links valid for at most one hour.
- Delete for users with delete rights on documents.
- The profile's Documents tab and the Employee Documents module share the same files.
- Employees see only their own documents, on the web and in the app.
- Roles decide who can view, upload and delete documents.
Why expiring links matter
HR files rarely leak through a hacker. They leak through a shared drive link that anyone with the address can open, an Aadhaar copy forwarded in a WhatsApp group, or a folder still shared with an employee who left two years ago. A link that expires within the hour cannot be reused later, and access checked against the user's role means a file is opened by people who are allowed to see it, not by whoever received a forward.
Worked example: a bank mandate at a Nagpur office
At 11 am, HR executive Pooja opens Rakesh's cancelled cheque to set up his salary account with the company's bank. The signed link behind that download is valid until noon. Suppose she pastes the link into a chat for a colleague in accounts, who clicks it at 3 pm: the link has expired and shows nothing. The colleague, whose role includes documents, opens Rakesh's documents in ZeniaHR instead and gets a fresh link. Nothing was exposed beyond the hour, and the right person still got the file.
Good storage habits
Storage is only as safe as the habits around it. The strongest link rules do not help if files are downloaded to shared desktops or forwarded outside the company, so pair the system's controls with a few plain rules that every HR and finance user follows.
- Share access through roles, not by forwarding files.
- Delete duplicate uploads so the record stays clear.
- Scan documents at a readable size well under 25 MB.
- Mask bank and contact fields for roles that do not need them.
See secure document storage in a demo
We show it on a video call with your own shifts, leave types and rules. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
Where are employee documents stored in ZeniaHR?
Documents are kept in ZeniaHR's file storage, not as attachments in email. Each file belongs to an employee record and is opened through a signed link created when someone with access asks for it. The same files appear on the Employee Documents page and the Documents tab of the profile.
How long is a document download link valid?
At most one hour. A fresh link is created each time someone opens or downloads a file, and it stops working after that. Anyone with access can simply open the file again from ZeniaHR to get a new link, so the short life does not slow down daily work.
What is the maximum file size for employee documents?
Up to 25 MB per upload. That is ample for scanned identity proofs, certificates and signed letters. For large scans, save them as PDF at a readable resolution rather than as heavy images, which keeps uploads quick for HR staff working from branch offices.
Can employees see their own documents in storage?
Yes. Employees see their own documents in self-service and in the mobile app, and never anyone else's files. HR, Finance and the Company Head work with other employees' documents only as their roles allow, and deleting a file needs the delete right on documents.