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Video of HR Basics: Discipline Documentation in Human Resources Managemnt (HR) course by GreggU channel, video No. 48 free certified online
HR Basics is a series of short courses, designed to highlight what you need to know about a particular human resource management topic. In today’s HR Basics, we explore the three simple rules of discipline documentation, and how to apply them in practice.
Documentation is one of the most effective tools for managing employee performance and behavioral issues and reducing legal risks. In fact, one of the best ways to deal with employee performance and behavior problems is documentation. Documentation can improve performance, reduce the risk of employee lawsuits and provide powerful evidence to help an employer defend against future claims.
Documentation shapes expectations where coaching alone can be ineffective. Documentation shows an employee their chance to improve, creating a fair work environment. And if the employee doesn't take that opportunity, documentation is proof that the employer tried to provide the tools and resources for the employee to succeed and is evidence that a termination decision was not arbitrary.
Let’s explore three critical rules of disciplinary documentation. Documentation can be simple and quick if employers and managers follow these three rules of disciplinary documentation: Just do it, Know your audience, Tell the story.
The biggest problem for many employers is that they simply do not document. So, our first rule is also our simplest – employers need to document. Disciplinary documentation has two audiences. Most employers focus on and write for only one audience: the employee. While the employee is the primary audience, employers often fail to recognize they are writing for a large and equally important secondary audience – agencies, layers, judges and juries.
The most important rule of documentation is telling the story – factually describing what happened and why it matters. In any situation of employee performance or discipline, we must be poised to think about, write well and then give a well crafted documentation to the employee.