Hubbard Family Swim School makes sure we have best practices in place regarding staff documentation.

Times for Documentation 

• Mentor Meetings. Evaluations. Site Meetings. Q12. Anytime you feel it is work related that should be recorded. 

Reasons for Documentation 

• Transition of Leadership, GM
• Documentation of work related conversations, as well as necessary informal conversations
• Follow up conversations. Reviewing evaluations, goals and needs
• Rewards, recognition and pay raises
• HR processes & Legal Liability
  • Ensure Hubbard has the best practices

How to Document: Referenced from Pryor Human Resource Law Update Certification & The SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) 

* Documentation can include performance, coaching, incidents, disciplinary actions, positive contributions, violations, rewards and recognition, investigations, failure to accomplish requirements, goals, and performance evaluations. 

* Documentation can be informal as well. However, it will then need to be done for all employees, so no employee is singled out - this could come back to a company as discrimination at a later date.

* Without documentation, making any case for any action is difficult and potentially risky for the employer. 

* Documentation needs to be completed soon after the event occurs for the most accurate wording as possible. 

* If an employee is let go or terminated for any reason, and comes back to a company stating discrimination of any kind, documentation is key to have to rely on - you can show performance related reasons, constant conversations or sit downs address the issues, etc. 

* Make sure documentation is factual not judgemental - below are some examples that were provided. 

• Wrong:
  • Mark is usually late for work. Mark misses too much work.
• Right:
  • April 1: Mark called in sick and missed eight hours of work.
  • April 4: Mark arrived at work at 10 a.m., two hours late from his scheduled start time.
  • April 6: Mark scheduled a doctor's appointment and then stayed home to have a new furnace installed.
  • April 12: Mark called in sick and missed eight hours of work.

Documenting Performance

• Wrong:
  • Mary is unreliable. She hardly ever does what she committed to do.
• Right:
  • May 2: Mary promised the first draft of the product proposal would be available for review at today’s weekly meeting. Mary did not produce a draft document as expected. Said she had been too busy and the people whose help she needed hadn’t gotten back with her.
  • Manager responded: What help had you needed? Information? Who has not gotten back to you and what did you need from them?