Record of Discussion Guide for Managers

Contents

Overview

When to use

Why it's useful

Step-by-step instructions

Preparing for a record of discussion meeting

How to find a Record of Discussion form

Conducting a Record of Discussion meeting

FAQs & troubleshooting

I can't find the Record of Discussion form under Documents

Does the employee require a support person or prior notice of the meeting?

Support options

Overview

A Record of Discussion (ROD) is used to document a structured conversation with an employee when an issue has been raised more than once, or when expectations need to be reinforced.

If someone isn’t quite doing the right thing — for example, turning up late without explanation, not following a process, or showing recurring behavioural concerns — an ROD provides a clear and constructive way to address it.

While you could move straight to disciplinary action, these forms are designed for minor misdemeanours or ad-hoc issues that don’t necessarily warrant a formal warning.

A record of discussion form also provides a written record of a conversation. The ROD helps you set out what’s been discussed, what needs to change, and what support will be provided. It’s a formal but non-disciplinary record confirming that:

• the issue has been discussed,

• expectations are clear, and

• improvement is required moving forward.

Depending on the nature of the issue discussed, a Record of Discussion may remain valid for 6–12 months as part of the employee’s performance record.

When to use

Use a Record of Discussion when you want to:

• Address minor issues that don’t yet justify disciplinary action
• Follow up on an issue that’s been discussed informally but hasn’t improved
• Summarise a meeting about attendance, attitude, or performance concerns
• Create a written acknowledgment of the conversation by both parties

Why it's useful

• Provides structure to the meeting and ensures consistency across managers
• Clearly documents what was said, agreed, and expected
• Establishes a paper trail of discussions leading up to potential disciplinary action
• Removes ambiguity and reduces the risk of “it never happened” disputes
• Helps employees understand the seriousness of the issue while still providing an opportunity to improve
• Lays the groundwork for any future disciplinary action if improvement doesn’t occur

 

Step-by-step instructions

Preparing for a record of discussion meeting

Consider what points you would like to cover in the discussion, and prepare any examples you have to explain your concerns. You may want to write down a brief description and bullet points of the examples.

Consider what your expectations are going forward - what standard do you require. If this is recorded somewhere already (such as a company handbook), you may want a copy ready for you to reference from.

Consider what support might be offered to help the employee in improving (coaching, training, etc.) and what a reasonable timeframe for improvement might be.

Be prepared to be flexible - your employee may share information with you that you weren't aware of going into the meeting and you may want to take a different approach as a result. 

Remember that the purpose of this meeting is constructive and development (not punitive).

Where to find a Record of Discussion form

1. Log in to MyHR - you will land on the Homepage.
2. Select the Documents section in the left-hand navigation bar (in the Organisation section).
3. You’ll see a list of folders specific to your organisation. Search for the Record of Discussion folder to download a form. 
   
   

Conducting a Record of Discussion meeting

1. Meet with the employee.
   1. Clearly explain your concerns, with examples. Talk about how this issue causes problems for other people on the shift, or for later shifts, and ultimately how hurts your business operations.
2. Listen to their feedback.
   1. They may have a fair and reasonable explanation, or they may give you information that you didn’t know. Alternatively, they may grumble and complain, or not have a good explanation at all.
3. Describe what you want to be different, and what success looks like.
   1. Agree what will happen next (e.g. they will stop taking long breaks, or they will be more proactive about finding work to do on their shift).
4. Set a timeframe for improvement – anything from 2 days to 2 weeks may be appropriate, depending on the issue.
5. Make notes using this form as you go. At the end of the discussion, have the employee review the notes and sign to show that they agree it’s an accurate reflection of what was discussed.
6. Upload a copy of the form into the employee's profile in MyHR, and provide a copy to the employee for their records. or their records.

At the end of the timeframe for improvement, catch up with the employee. If the behaviour has improved, great!!

If the behaviour continues, escalate it by notifying MyHR, so that you can progress the situation and potentially begin a disciplinary process.

 

FAQs & troubleshooting

I can't find the Record of Discussion template form under Documents

Message the MyHR team via the Ask Us chat feature to let us know that the Record of Discussion folder is missing.

Does the employee need a support person or prior notice of the meeting?

A conversation using a Record of Discussion form is not a formal consultation, so you do not need to provide the employee with advance notice, time to consider your views, or a support person at the meeting. However, always consider this on a case-by-case basis — for example:

• If the employee struggles to think on the spot,
• If they generally have a support person due to anxiety or other reasons, or
• If the discussion involves a particularly sensitive issue.

In these cases, it may be appropriate to allow additional time for the employee to consider your feedback or to have a support person present.

 

Support options