Documentation in the Workplace

Name: Documentation in the Workplace
Author: Diane Martin

Learn the basics of defensible documentation.

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Course: On-Demand

(lively music) Welcome to Documentation in the Workplace. Let's go over the basics of how and why to keep track of documentation. In these lessons, you'll explore the various ways documentation of workplace operations or employee performance can contribute to an organization's ability to minimize the risk of litigation and reputational harm. Whether you're a manager or a supervisor, understanding the importance, purpose, and use of documentation in the workplace is an important objective. Documentation is the memorializing of a situation in writing, such as an event or behavior. The writing can take many forms, such as memos or emails, just to name a few. The need to document becomes necessary for a variety of reasons. In many organizations, when an accident occurs on the premises, whether it happens to an employee, customer, or visitor, it's a standard operating procedure to document what happened. If an employee is hurt, workers' compensation laws, along with the organization's concern about its liability, dictates that the circumstances surrounding the incident be recorded in writing. In a shoplifting scenario, a retailer would be well-advised to document the circumstances regarding the recovery of goods and the detention of the offender, if the company expects to prosecute later. In this case, the documentation's purpose is to serve as evidence. Consider the impact of written witness statements and camera footage. In the event of a hearing or trial, the credible, well-written documentation of an employee's and employer's actions, stated policies, and procedures can be enormously persuasive. This can result in terminating litigation and tilting a decision in your favor, sparing your company from millions of dollars in damages. For this reason, getting documentation right from the start should be an important objective for every manager or supervisor. In many organizations, it's part of their overall strategic objectives. Also, it's important to avoid litigation, public scrutiny, and bad press because reputational harm can be long-lasting and damaging to the company's bottom line. Smart employers expect you to serve as proactive guardians of their organization's human resources, policies, and reputation.

Intermediate Provider : Diane Martin 7 Lessons · 26m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

In these lessons, we’ll explore how documentation is used in the workplace to foster productivity and orderliness. We’ll also examine the role documentation plays in changing employee behavior, as well as how the preparation of credible documentation can be used to protect the organization against reputational harm.

What You'll Learn

Learn the basic purpose of workplace documentation
Discover how documentation supports employee engagement
Apply documentation to employee management and HR processes
Use documentation in the context of workplace compliance
Identify what makes documentation defensible

Key Takeaways

Documentation is used in the workplace to foster productivity and orderliness.
Documentation plays a role in changing employee behavior.
Preparing credible documentation can help protect an organization against reputational harm.
Documentation supports employee engagement and workplace compliance.
Defensible documentation is a distinct quality that the course defines.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this course cover?

It explores how documentation is used in the workplace to foster productivity and orderliness, the role documentation plays in changing employee behavior, and how credible documentation can protect an organization against reputational harm.

What will I learn about documentation and compliance?

The course teaches how documentation is used regarding workplace compliance, including a lesson on Documentation and Compliance.

What topics are included in the lessons?

Lessons cover Intro to Documentation, Documentation and its Purpose, Documentation and Employee Management, Documentation and HR, Documentation and Compliance, and Defining Defensible Documentation, followed by a Test Your Knowledge assessment.

What does it mean for documentation to be defensible?

The course includes a lesson, Defining Defensible Documentation, and teaches what makes documentation defensible, though the specific criteria are presented within the lesson content.