Employee documentation
Employee documentation: write the fact before the label
By Jon Orozco · Companion to Write It Down
“Poor attitude” sounds like a conclusion. It does not tell a later reader what happened. If the note becomes the starting point for a workplace decision, that gap matters. Start with an event someone can understand, then separate the evidence from your interpretation.
Replace the label with an event
A useful practice note might read: “At Tuesday’s project review, the revised schedule was due at 10 a.m. It arrived at 2:15 p.m. The client call moved to Wednesday.” The date, expectation, observed event, and consequence give the next reader something to check.
Compare that with “Alex is unreliable.” The label offers no source or sequence. Even a precise note can be incomplete or mistaken, so check the facts and record relevant context rather than treating detail as proof of fairness.
Include the response and support
Ask what affected the work. Record the employee’s account distinctly from your own observations. Was the expectation clear? Did the person have the access, information, or support needed? If accounts differ, preserve the difference instead of writing it out of the record.
Close with the agreed next action, who owns it, what support was offered, and the follow-up date. A record that ends at the criticism is less useful than one that shows what happens next.
Use an honest timeline
Write close to the event while facts can still be checked. When documenting an older event, date the entry today, identify it as a late entry, and distinguish verified information from memory. Do not create the appearance that an old note was written at the time.
Practice with fictional details. Real employee information belongs in the organization’s approved system under its access and retention rules. Sensitive or disputed matters need the appropriate HR or qualified professional review.
Try it this week
Take one fictional note with a label such as “unprofessional.” Rewrite it as an observable event, the person’s response, and a dated next step.
General educational guidance. Examples are fictional. Follow approved workplace processes and use qualified support for real cases.
Keep practicing with Write It Down
Write a factual record someone else can understand, with the employee’s account and a clear next step.
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