The Los Angeles Times today reported that CalPERS has “begun” automatically deleting any emails older than 60 days. The report also implies that the policy was instituted during our special review of placement agents and that CalPERS could be “destroying evidence of misdeeds.” This could not be farther from the truth.
The policy has been in effect since November 2000 and was provided to the Times in a Public Records Request. It clearly states that management is responsible for identifying to their staff the kind of email messages which need to be retained for CalPERS business purposes, and for ensuring that their staff understands and complies with this practice. CalPERS staff are required to determine if their email messages need to be retained for CalPERS business purposes. If emails are needed for litigation purposes or other business reasons, a hold is placed on all records for preservation. This is consistent with methods used to retain all business records irrespective of their form and is a similar policy used by other state agencies.
CalPERS Email Retention Policy
CalPERS is working hard to ensure the retirement and health security of our members, provide help to our employers, and manage our investments to meet our long-term liabilities. We hope this information provides education, insight, and clarity.
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