A practical guide for contractors and small teams

Keep employee certificate expiry dates in one place

When certificates live in email attachments, folders and separate spreadsheets, it is easy to lose track of the next renewal. A shared expiry register gives the person responsible for training a clear list of what needs attention, who it belongs to and where to find the document.

Renewday helps contractors and small field-service teams track these dates and schedule email reminders. You enter the expiry date from your records; Renewday does not decide whether a qualification is valid for a particular job.

What to record for each certificate

Employee: the person the certificate belongs to.
Record title: a specific name, such as the course or trade qualification.
Expiry date: the date stated by the issuer or confirmed in your records.
Document: a readable copy of the certificate or renewal confirmation.
Notes: who handles the renewal and anything needed before booking.
Reminder schedule: enough notice to book training and receive updated paperwork.

For example, you might keep Working at Heights and First Aid records against an employee, with a copy of each document. Check the issuer’s rules and your job requirements for the correct dates. Different records can have different renewal requirements; do not apply one expiry period to every course or certificate.

Choose reminders around the work involved

Start with the time needed to arrange the renewal. A course that requires advance booking needs more notice than a document you can renew online. You might choose a first reminder 60 days ahead and another at 14 days; those are planning examples, not legal deadlines.

In Renewday, choose 90, 60, 30, 14, 7 or 1 day before expiry, or set a custom schedule. Reminders go to the business owner and, when an email address is available, the assigned employee. Check the recipient and company timezone before relying on a schedule. Email can be delayed or fail, so review important dates directly as well.

Moving from a certificate-tracking spreadsheet

Starting from scratch? Download the free expiry-tracking spreadsheet template. It opens in Excel or Google Sheets and includes example rows you can replace with your own records.

Clean up duplicate employees and check date formats before importing. Keep a copy of the original spreadsheet. Renewday accepts CSV files and lets you review rows before confirming the import; you can try the process with sample data in the CSV import demo. Attach supporting documents to the records after import.

After a certificate is renewed

Check the new document, enter the new expiry date and update the record with the current paperwork. The new date determines the next reminders. Review your due-soon and expired records regularly so that a missed email does not become your only way of finding an overdue renewal.

Insurance and inspection dates belong in the same register

Not every renewal belongs to an employee. You can also track liability insurance, business licences, permits and vehicle or equipment inspection dates under your company. Give each record a clear title and use the dates on the relevant policy, document or confirmed schedule.

See the insurance and licence renewal reminder guide for a company-level renewal routine.

Try it with a few records

Start with one employee certificate, one insurance renewal and one inspection date. Renewday’s Free plan includes 10 tracked items and requires no card. Paid plans start at CAD $12 per month plus applicable tax.

Start tracking expiry dates or explore the sample workspace first.

Renewday organizes your dates and paperwork. It does not verify certificates or guarantee compliance. Your business remains responsible for confirming requirements and completing renewals.