Do's and Don'ts of Documenting Employee Behaviour, Performance, and Discipline

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 documented 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. Additionally, solid documentation will become an employer’s best friend when an employee brings discrimination or other employment-related claims against the organization. 
Possessing a solid understanding of the do's and don’ts of documenting employee performance, discipline, and behavior is an essential tool for managers and supervisors because they need to make a serious effort to effectively record all events in the employment history of their employees – both positive and negative. 

• The role documentation plays in investigations & lawsuits
• If it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen!
• Errors & pitfalls to be aware of when documenting employee performance & behavior
• Steps to follow when analyzing discipline problems
• How to handle employee disagreement with disciplinary and/or performance write-ups
• What, When How and Why to document
• Analyzing discipline problems
• Types of documentation
• Documentation examples:  The good, bad and the ugly!
• Creating bullet-proof documentation
• Best practices & guidelines when documenting employee performance
• Avoid these documentation errors
• Subjective vs. Objective terminology
• Tactics for providing effective feedback
• Handling employee rebuttals to feedback
• Pitfalls to avoid when assessing performance
• Documentation’s role in investigations & lawsuits
• Documentation retention

Attendance at this presentation will enable participants to create effective, bullet-proof documentation, recognize the pitfalls to avoid when documenting, and understand documentation’s role in investigations and lawsuits.

• Business Owners
• Human Resources professionals
• Managers & Supervisors
• Project Managers
• Team Leaders
• Compliance professionals
• Operations professionals
• Talent Development professionals

Diane L. Dee, President of Advantage HR Consulting, has over 25 years of experience in the Human Resources arena. Diane’s background includes experience in HR consulting and administration in corporate, government, consulting, and pro bono environments. Diane founded Advantage HR Consulting in early 2016. Under Diane’s leadership, Advantage HR provides comprehensive, cost-effective Human Resources solutions for small to mid-sized firms in the greater Chicagoland area. Additionally, Diane conducts webinars on a wide variety of HR topics for various training firms across the country. Diane holds a Master's Certificate in Human Resources from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and has attained SPHR, SHRM-SCP, sHRBP, and HRPM® certifications. Diane is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Diane performs pro bono work through the Taproot Foundation assisting non-profit clients by integrating their Human Resources goals with their corporate strategies.