13/10/2026
HR documentation is so important
I know, for many businesses it can feel like a chore when there are so many other things placing demand on your time but honestly, those documents really can help you in the event you need to defend a claim made against your business.
Here are 5 key things to make sure you have written records of:
- Informal performance and conduct disussions. Even though what is discussed here isn't formal, just more of a point in the right direction, keeping a note of what the issue was, any support offered or given and what changes the employee committed to make can be so helpful if you need to revisit the same issue again.
- Grievances. If a complaint is made by an employee at work, keeping records of the complaint, what action was taken, any outcomes reached and how you reached them is really beneficial.
- Flexible working requests. When these are made, records should be kept of the request, the considerations made by the business and whether the request was approved or declined. For declines, keep a clear record of the reasons why.
- Absence from work. Keep clear records of any absences from, including holidays and sickness absences, and any accompanying documents around them such as return to work meetings so you have a full record of all occasions and the reasons for them.
- Redundancy and restructuring. Keep a log on the reasons why redundancies or restructuring was needed and the actions that were considered BEFORE taking the decision to make redundancies. Retain all consultation meeting notes and any scoring and selection methods used to reach decisions.
If you need help with HR and people, I'm here to help!
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