Client: “Every time I ask supervisors to document an employee issue, I get something that reads more like a personal diary than professional notes. I’m worried these notes could hurt the organization instead of help us. What should documentation actually look like?”
Consultant: You are right to be concerned. Documentation should help the organization understand what happened, what was discussed, and what needs to happen next. It should not include venting, assumptions, labels, sarcasm, or personal commentary.
The goal is not to “build a case” against an employee. The goal is to create a clear, factual record.
Client: “What’s the difference between helpful documentation and documentation that hurts us?”
Consultant: Helpful documentation is factual, specific, timely, and professional.
Instead of writing:
“Jordan clearly doesn’t care about this job and is always making excuses.”
Try:
“Jordan arrived 18 minutes late for the scheduled 8:00 a.m. shift. This is the third late arrival in the past two weeks. We discussed the attendance expectation and the need to notify a supervisor before the start of the shift if they will be late.”
The first version gives us frustration and assumptions. The second gives us facts we can use.
Client: “So supervisors should avoid writing how they feel about the employee?”
Consultant: Exactly. Documentation is not the place to process frustration. Avoid labels like “lazy,” “rude,” “toxic,” “bad attitude,” or “doesn’t care.”
Instead, document the behavior:
“The report was not submitted by the Friday deadline.”
“The employee interrupted two coworkers during the meeting.”
“The employee left the front desk uncovered for 25 minutes without notifying the lead.”
Behavior can be addressed. Labels create risk.
Client: “How much detail do they really need?”
Consultant: Enough that someone who was not there can understand the situation. Most notes should answer five basic questions:
Who was involved?
What happened?
When did it happen?
What expectation was discussed?
What are the next steps?
A simple note might look like:
“Met with [Employee] on [Date] regarding [specific issue]. Reviewed [policy, expectation, or performance standard]. Employee shared [brief response, if relevant]. Next steps are [what needs to happen and by when].”
That is usually enough for routine coaching notes.
Client: “What should absolutely stay out of documentation?”
Consultant: Personal opinions, medical assumptions, legal conclusions, jokes, sarcasm, and comments unrelated to the workplace issue.
A good rule of thumb is this: write every note as if the employee, HR, an attorney, an investigator, or a decision-maker may read it someday. Because someday, they might.
Client: “What if the employee shares something important during the conversation?”
Consultant: Include it briefly and factually. For example:
“Employee stated they were late because their childcare provider was delayed.”
“Employee disagreed with the feedback and stated they believe the workload is unreasonable.”
“Employee shared that a health-related issue may be affecting attendance. I paused the conversation and referred the matter to HR for follow-up.”
You do not need every word. You need the relevant information.
Client: “So the key is facts, not feelings?”
Consultant: Exactly. Facts, expectations, employee response, and next steps.
Good documentation helps supervisors follow up consistently, helps employees understand what needs to change, and helps the organization show that it acted professionally and fairly.
So yes — no more diary entries.
Dear diary, this is HR. Keep it factual, keep it professional, and keep it useful.
And if you ever need help training supervisors on documentation that helps instead of hurts, we’re here to support you. Reach out anytime.