How to keep a paper trail at work: documenting problems the right way

What to record and what to leave out

A useful record is factual, specific and made at the time. WorkSafe's advice for anyone experiencing bullying is to record, for each incident, the date, time and place, what happened, including who was present and who said what, whether there were witnesses, and how you felt. The same approach works for any workplace problem: unfair treatment, unpaid hours, safety concerns or a manager's broken promises.

Leave out speculation about motives, insults and exaggeration. "He said my report was useless in front of the team at the 10am meeting" is strong. "He is out to get me" is not. If you later need to rely on the record, its credibility comes from its calm, factual tone.

Also record the good-faith steps you took, because both sides have a duty of good faith: a conversation where you raised the issue, a request for help, a suggestion you made. They show you tried to resolve things.

Dates, words, witnesses

Three details make a record useful later. Dates and times, because patterns and timelines matter, and because a personal grievance usually has to be raised within 90 days of the event, or of when you became aware of it (12 months for sexual harassment). Exact words, where you can remember them, in quotation marks, rather than a summary. Witnesses, named, even if you are not sure they would speak up, because it shows the incident was not private.

After an important conversation, it is good practice to send a short, neutral email confirming what was discussed and agreed. WorkSafe's advice is to keep a record of informal conversations and meetings, with dates, who was present, what was discussed and the agreed outcomes. The reply, or the lack of a correction, becomes part of the record.

Recording meetings: legal is not the same as wise

Under the Crimes Act, it is not an offence to record a conversation you are part of. But Employment New Zealand warns that recording a meeting secretly could be considered a breach of good faith, and the Privacy Commissioner says it is best to record with consent, so both sides have an accurate record. The better course is usually to ask openly whether you can record, or to take careful notes and bring a support person, which you are entitled to do at meetings about a problem. Afterwards, write up your own notes the same day while they are fresh.

Keeping it off work systems

Keep your notes on your own phone or computer, in your own accounts. Your employer is entitled to view emails on its work email system, and it can monitor how work devices are used. Notes kept there are not private, and you may lose access to them if your employment ends suddenly.

Be careful about what you take, though. You have a duty to keep your employer's confidential information confidential, and bulk-forwarding work emails or files to a personal account can breach that. Keep your own notes and your own copies of letters you send, such as a grievance letter. If you need the employer's records about you, ask for them: under the Privacy Act you can request the personal information an organisation holds about you. If you are unsure, get advice before copying anything.

When and how it gets used

Often a record is never needed: the problem is resolved with a conversation. When it is needed, it supports a written complaint to your manager or HR, a request for mediation, or a personal grievance. A grievance is raised when you make your employer aware that you have one you want addressed, and Employment New Zealand advises doing it in writing, clearly and with enough detail, so there is no doubt. Your notes provide that detail. Our guide to employment rights in New Zealand covers the process, and our article on performance improvement plans covers one situation where records matter most.

In jobtracker.co.nz, Your Career keeps 1:1 notes with the date, who you met, what was agreed and any feedback given, in your own account rather than on work systems. The words are encrypted before they are stored and never shared with an employer, including one that pays for your plan. You can see two example 1:1 notes in the demo, which needs no account.

Keep your record somewhere that is yours