Documentation on Trial
You have repeatedly heard the employment attorney mantra “document, document, document.” The reasons should be obvious: Documentation can be compelling evidence of what occurred during the employment relationship and can support nondiscriminatory reasons for employer actions. However, having poor documentation–documentation that is ambiguous or biased or that lacks specificity–is worse than having no documentation. This session will highlight the 10 most common documentation mistakes, reveal how your documentation will be viewed by a jury or judge, and provide tools for creating documentation that will assist you in court. At the end of this session, you will:
- Understand the top 10 documentation mistakes and how to avoid them.
- Walk away with tips and tools for creating proper documentation.
- Know how a jury or judge will view your documentation.
Allison West, Esq., SHRM-SCP, AWI-CH
Allison West is an employment attorney by background and for over 20 years has assisted employers in creating and maintaining safe and respectful work environments.
She focuses her practice on delivering customized workplace training, conducting workplace investigations, coaching executives/managers concerning performance or disciplinary issues as well as leadership topics, and serves as an expert witness. Allison also specializes in using her mediation skills to help individuals and groups to work through conflicts and create more collaborative work environments.
Allison is a top-rated speaker at the SHRM Annual Conference as well as other HR/diversity conferences, and is a national expert on harassment, discrimination and investigations. She has appeared on PBS, CBS This Morning and in O Magazine discussing workplace harassment issues.
She is a member of the State Bar of California and holds her SHRM-SCP certification and AWI-CH (investigation) certificate.
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