Do’s and Don’ts of Documenting Employee Behavior, Performance, and Discipline

Badly worded documentation and suspiciously timed administration are at a minimum problematic and at worst, hard to justify in employment claims. Inconsistent documentation, which may be just bad management practices, can cause employment claims from suspicious employees.

Considering that writing ill-suited documentation and administering inconsistent discipline is generally carried out by managers who practice a host of other bad management habits; taken together the factors create a situation akin to a compliance powder keg waiting to explode.

The absence of solid documentation is the single most common mistake employers make when handling employee performance, behavior, and discipline issues. Not properly documenting, or not documenting at all, can hurt employers in several ways.

Documentation can make or break a manager's ability to discipline, terminate, fairly promote, reward, and recognize employees.

From a business perspective, training management employees how to write documentation and how to use the tools of employee development is undoubtedly the easiest and cheapest thing an employer can do to stave off unwarranted employment claims and avoid losing valuable employees.

From an HR perspective, training managers in the basics of HR compliance can help to defend against a whole host of unwarranted employment claims, including those that often begin from miscommunication, misinformation, and mismanagement.

This webinar will assist you in understanding what to do and not do when documenting an employee's performance. Termination is one of the most difficult things a manager must do and that is why managers give leniency on performance. Documentation of the employee's performance is critical and can make the difference between a defense verdict and a large jury award.

• Importance of solid documentation
• Role documentation plays in investigations & lawsuits
• If it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen!
• What, When, & How to document
• Documenting as a routine task – don’t put it off!
• Errors & pitfalls when documenting performance & behavior
• Best practices & guidelines when documenting performance & behavior
• Analyzing performance & behavioral problems
• What is Progressive Discipline?
• Utilizing Progress Discipline in your workplace
• Handling employee disagreements with disciplinary and/or performance write-ups
• What to do when an employee refuses to sign/acknowledge performance write-ups
• Documentation examples: The good, bad & the ugly!
• Use of Subjective vs. Objective terminology & examples
• Assessing the risks of taking action versus not taking action
• Stakeholder responsibilities in the Performance Appraisal process
• Factors that distort performance appraisals
• Common issues when providing feedback & how to overcome them
• Tactics for providing effective feedback
• Pitfalls to avoid when assessing performance
• Goals & key elements of conducting effective investigations of performance & behavior
• Taking corrective action
• Documentation retention

Documenting employee behavior, performance, and discipline is a critical component of effective human resources management. Proper documentation helps ensure clarity, fairness, and legal compliance while supporting the development and well-being of employees. By following the do’s and avoiding the don’ts, organizations can ensure that their documentation practices support both organizational goals and employee growth.