---
title: "For HR staff: Approving Document Destruction"
slug: "erm-document-destruction"
updated: 2026-07-24T21:57:17Z
published: 2026-07-24T21:57:17Z
canonical: "docs.visualvault.com/erm-document-destruction"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.visualvault.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# For HR staff: Approving Document Destruction

The **Document Destruction** page lists documents which have been soft-deleted by the retention task and are awaiting a staff decision. At this stage, you can review and control between soft-deletion (recoverable) and document purge (not recoverable, permanent deletion).

## Key capabilities

- Review documents that were soft-deleted by the retention process
- Search for specific items
- Approve one or many documents for purge
- Decline documents that should not be purged
- Export the current results to CSV

---

## Quickstart Guide

![](https://cdn.document360.io/10763bcf-f13e-488f-9c3e-d6737c42ab5e/Images/Documentation/2026-07-23 ERM_Document Destruction page_quick start guide.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-13T13%3A36%3A23Z&se=2026-10-13T14%3A36%3A23Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=aSpS8eIeEBcx1w8Vl2ww2cTd1zZl1WvGHSt7%2BURWCvA%3D)

---

## What search options are available?

The **Document Destruction** page uses a grid view to support your detailed review.

| Feature | What it helps you do |
| --- | --- |
| Employee Number search | Find documents for a specific employee |
| Doc Type search/filter | Focus on a document category |
| Document ID search | Locate an exact document quickly |
| File Name search | Find documents by recognizable file name |
| Deleted Date range | Review items soft-deleted during a specific period |
| Termination Date column | Compare the employee lifecycle date with retention decisions |

> [!NOTE]
> **Best practice:** Use the Deleted Date range and Termination Date together when validating why a document entered the destruction queue.

---

## How do I approve documents for destruction?

1. Navigate to the **Document Destruction** page from the left navigation menu.
2. Search or filter the list as needed.
3. Select one document or use the checkboxes to select a batch of documents.
4. Choose **Approve** to confirm the document should proceed to permanent purge, or the corresponding action to reject/restore a document you don't want purged.
5. Confirm the action “Approve for Destruction” when prompted.
6. Approved documents move into the queue for the next scheduled **Document Purge** maintenance task run.

> [!WARNING]
> **Note**: Purged documents cannot be recovered. These are permanently deleted.

---

## How can I see which documents were already approved for destruction?

1. Navigate to the **Document Destruction** page from the left navigation menu.
2. From the filter dropdown, choose the **Approved for Destruction** view to see documents already approved for destruction.
3. Search or filter the list as needed.

---

## Frequently Asked Questions

[Find answers to common questions](/v1/docs/erm-faq#general1) about the application.

### What should I do if I have a problem with ERM?

If you are unable to log in to ERM or if you encounter a problem with one of the modules in ERM, please submit a ticket in our [Support Portal](https://visualvault.freshdesk.com/).