People First

10/12/2026

10/08/2026

**The Importance of Employee Documentation**

I say this to clients all the time: **If it isn't documented, it's very difficult to prove it happened.**

Documentation isn't about creating a paper trail so you can fire someone. Good documentation is about communicating expectations, giving employees an opportunity to improve, and protecting both the employee and the company.

When you have a performance conversation, document it. If an employee is repeatedly late, document the dates. If you coach someone about inappropriate behavior, make a note of what was discussed, what needs to change, and when you'll follow up.

And don't wait until you're ready to terminate someone to start documenting!

That's one of the biggest mistakes I see employers make. A manager will tell me, "We've been talking to this employee about the same problem for six months." Then I look at the employee's file—and there's nothing there.

Good documentation should be **factual, specific and consistent.** Instead of writing, "John has a bad attitude," document what actually happened: "John raised his voice during the team meeting and told his supervisor, 'I'm not doing that,' after being assigned the task."

See the difference? One is an opinion. The other describes what occurred.

Documentation should also include the employee's successes. Performance records shouldn't only tell the story of what went wrong.

Finally, remember that emails, text messages, performance reviews, written warnings and even a manager's notes may someday be reviewed by someone outside your company. Write everything professionally and stick to the facts.

**People First Tip:** Don't document to punish. **Document to communicate.** Clear expectations, good coaching and consistent follow-up give employees the best opportunity to succeed—and give employers a much clearer path when improvement doesn't happen.

10/07/2026

Your Handbook Isn't Meant to Cover Everything
One employer worried their handbook didn't spell out every possible disciplinary situation.
Good news...
It shouldn't.
Employee handbooks establish expectations.
Operations manuals explain procedures.
Manager coaching handles day-to-day situations.
Trying to write every possible scenario into a handbook usually makes it harder—not easier—to manage employees.

10/06/2026

Tuesday Insight: Business Wisdom
Trust Is Still One of the Most Valuable Things You Can Build
With technology changing the way we work and communicate, it's easy to think relationships matter less than they once did. A recent Forbes article argues just the opposite.
Kate Vitasek explains that trust remains at the heart of strong relationships with customers, employees and business partners. Technology may make us faster and more efficient, but it can't replace transparency, honest communication, consistency and doing what you say you're going to do.
That's especially important when choosing the people and companies you do business with. A lower price may look attractive today, but reliability, communication and trust often provide far greater value over the life of the relationship.
The People First Perspective: We've always believed business is personal. When you find people you trust—people who answer the phone, tell you the truth and are there when something goes wrong—that relationship has value that doesn't always show up on a proposal or invoice.
Sometimes the best business decision isn't choosing the lowest price. It's choosing the right people.
Source: Kate Vitasek, Forbes, "Building Trust Through Business Relationships Amid Misinformation," August 28, 2026.

10/01/2026

What To Do When an Employee Doesn't Show Up for Work

An employee doesn't show up for work. They don't call. They don't text. And nobody seems to know where they are.

It's frustrating—and your first reaction may be, "Well, I guess they quit."

Not so fast.

A no-call/no-show should be addressed promptly, but employers shouldn't automatically assume job abandonment after one missed shift.

Start by trying to contact the employee. Call, text or email using the contact information you have on file. Document each attempt. Your first goal should be to determine what happened. There could be an emergency, illness or other circumstance you don't know about.

Next, follow your attendance and no-call/no-show policy. A good policy should clearly explain when repeated unreported absences may be considered job abandonment. Whatever your policy says, apply it consistently.

Before ending employment, also consider whether the absence could involve a protected reason. Medical situations, family or medical leave, disability accommodations, pregnancy-related needs and state or local leave laws may require additional steps.

If you've made reasonable attempts to reach the employee, received no response, and the number of consecutive no-call/no-show days stated in your policy has passed, send a final written notice. Explain that if you don't hear from the employee by a specific deadline, the Company will consider the employee to have voluntarily resigned or abandoned the position, consistent with your policy and applicable law.

Most importantly: document everything.

Who called? When? Were messages left? What did the policy require? What correspondence was sent?

Job abandonment should be the conclusion of a documented process—not an assumption made because someone didn't show up Monday morning.

People First Tip: Have a clear no-call/no-show and job abandonment policy before you need one. Good policies make difficult situations much easier to manage.

09/30/2026

Attendance Starts With Timekeeping
An employer couldn't determine whether employees were arriving on time because they weren't consistently clocking in.
That's more than a payroll problem.
It's an accountability problem.
Employees should understand that accurate time records protect both the company and themselves.
If people aren't following timekeeping procedures, address it early.
Little habits often become big problems.