Avoid These Common Documentation Mistakes

Employee documentation is important and can even come up in defending lawsuits and other legal disputes. From vague feedback to discriminatory comments, there are plenty of potential pitfalls for employers. HR Advisors, Inc. can help you through the process and avoid these mistakes.

No documentation

A lack of documentation will certainly result in problems down the road. You should document things as soon as they take place so that you don't forget. A good place to start is to write down bullet points of the situation and use the employee’s full name.

Vague documentation

Avoid using ambiguous language in documentation. Include details on what the expectations were and how they were unmet. You’ll want to say more than just, “failed to produce deliverables” instead say “failed to turn in report by February 1, as instructed by email.” Try to also document any accompanying conversation and quote what took place.

Absolute expressions

Avoid using absolute expression like “always” and “never.” This can be seen as exaggeration and could undermine your credibility. Avoid saying “Employee is always late to work” because it’s unlikely the employee is always late. Specific dates or number of occurrences is ideal, but it is also okay to use words like “periodically” and “frequently.”

Unclear expectations

Avoid phrases like “employee needs to be more efficient” and instead clearly explain what needs to happen, continue, or change. You should also be clear about what employees must do and the consequences of failing to do so in their action or performance plans.

Discrimination red flags

Avoid referring to an employee’s age, race, status, or other protected factor in the documentation. Instead talk about specific conduct or behavior that occurred and the exact workplace policy that the worker violated.