A contractor wants to document an employee's job performance over time. The best record-keeping practice is to:
Explanation
Accurate, contemporaneous, objective evaluations are what make a later performance decision defensible, and Labor Code §1198.5 lets the employee inspect that personnel file on request - so the record has to be written as the work happens, not assembled afterwards. Documenting only what supports a termination produces a file that reads as built for the decision it was meant to justify. A supervisor's memory at review time is not a record and will not survive a dispute. And keeping nothing in writing does not limit exposure; it removes the evidence the employer would need to explain the decision.
Law Reference: Labor Code §1198.5This topic, taught in full in the CSLB Law & Business guide. CSLB Law & Business — Complete Study Guide (2026) — PDF + EPUB, $24.99 · 14-day refund →
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