Documentation – A Necessary Process

Robert Andre
President – CarWash College™

Do you have a documentation process in place that captures what your employees are doing right and, what they could improve upon? If not, you should. Not only does documenting an employees performance open up communications on what, and how, they can improve, documentation affords you some degree of protection if you terminate an employee and the termination is legally challenged.

It is a standard practice to interview someone when you hire them, but is it standard for you to conduct an exit interview? If not, it should be. The process itself can sometimes be hard to follow when letting someone go because of the circumstances surrounding the situation. No matter the situation, always fill out an exit interview form. If the employee refuses to answer the questions or sign the form, note that on the form before filing it in the employees file. And, recordkeeping plays an important part in the documentation process as the EEOC requires employers to keep an employees file for at least one year from the date of termination (Publication 29 CFR Part 1602).

To assist you with your necessary documentation/recordkeeping, this months tip includes an example of an Exit Interview. Feel free to use this one, or create one of your own, but whatever you do, make sure you have one and that you use it.

Exit Interview

Robert Andre is the President of CarWash College™. Robert can be reached at RAndre@carwashcollege.com. For more information about CarWash College™ certification programs, visit www.CarWashCollege.com or call the registrar's office at 1-866-492-7422.