Whilst Enterprise Agreements and Awards set out the rules by which the Company operates, it is often the information recorded by members that allows the union to enforce these rules.
Keeping notes of any incidents can raise standards in the workplace.
When writing notes, it’s important to make sure you include the following information:
Full names and job roles of who is involved
Date and time of the incident
Location of incidene. Be specific e.g. aisle number, or section
Description of incident
Exactly what happened
Facts only (do not write opinions)
Write in dot point form and avoid telling stories
Witness names
Precisely who saw what
Action taken at the time and by whom
Why is it important to take notes? Notes turn stories into facts. They never go out of date and can be used as evidence in any meetings or investigations. Notes have various uses including:
Recording breaches of policy that are handled inconsistently by managers.
Recording minor incidents that by themselves are insignificant, but together show a trend.
Gathering evidence for a problem you wish to resolve.
Recording what was discussed in meetings with management and their outcome.
