Importance of Documentation

 As an Employment Lawyer, I know that documentation is critical.
Whether we are discussing allegations of misconduct, concerns regarding poor performance, the investigation of harassment, or accommodation requests, cases will be decided based upon the evidence, and not necessarily the truth.
When a client calls me to discuss how to deal with a chronically poor performing employee, the first thing I asked to see is their file. And in many cases, there is nothing more than a series of performance reviews which state that the employee “met expectations”, or something like that. That will not justify summary dismissal.
In the context of requests for accommodation, employers must document their efforts to assess the need for accommodation and the options available. If they don’t, they will be found to have breached their duty to accommodate.
Similarly, employers are often ordered to pay overtime to employees who claim vast amounts of extra hours when the employer has no records at all of the time worked.
In order to put yourself in a strong legal position, documentation is critical. Otherwise, you expose yourself to unnecessary liability and cost. 

 If you are being bullied, START DOCUMENTING your experiences.
Documenting the bullying behavior is one of the most powerful weapons you can use to stop the cycle of bullying.
There are many nurses who have successfully addressed bullying behavior of their co-workers and their boss.
The one common strategy was that they all documented their experiences over time.
Creating a documentation trail helps establish a pattern of destructive behavior, which can help your organization take action against the bully.