This audio conference was recorded on Tuesday - January 13, 2009

Credits:

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org. The use of this seal is not an endorsement by HRCI of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met HRCI’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification.

Description:

Performance and discipline. We all know that written documentation goes hand in hand with these issues. But, do your managers really know what to say and how to say it when it comes time to put pen to paper? Unclear or inaccurate documentation can often create as much liability as having no documentation at all. Don’t let poor documentation stand in the way of a successful defense when performance and disciplinary issues arise.

Order this audio conference recording, when our expert—an experienced California employment law attorney and SPHR—will explain step by step how to create documentation that can act as a legal shield against a barrage of employment-related claims.

Speaker(s):

Allison West, Esq., SPHR, is a principal of Employment Practices Specialists, LLC, in Pacifica, California. West specializes in developing and delivering training programs that address employment law and human resource issues, both in the United States and internationally. Her expertise also includes conducting workplace investigations; one-on-one sensitivity training for managers and employees concerning harassment, discrimination, and diversity awareness issues; coaching managers and employees with disciplinary and/or behavioral problems; providing expert witness assistance; and customizing employee handbooks, policies, and procedures.

West is a member of the State Bar of California. She holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, Northern California Human Resource Association, and the San Francisco Bar Association. She received her B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and her J.D. from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• Seven steps for boosting your documentation process to ensure consistency, manageability, and fairness
• How to draft documentation that a fact finder (be it a judge, jury, or administrative agency like the EEOC) will find convincing
• The best way to succinctly and accurately convey employment objectives, expectations, and policy violations, as well as the consequences of not improving on performance issues
• What you should not say when documenting—the words and phrases that could get you into trouble
• Nightmare scenarios that have resulted from poor documentation practices and how you can avoid them