Unit Five

Work related documents

 This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the following
content coverage and topics:
Completing forms relating to employment
 Recording data on workplace forms and documents
 Basic mathematical processes for routine calculations
 Identifying errors in recording information
 Completing reporting requirements
 Specifically, upon completion of this learning guide, you will be able to:
 Complete forms relating to employment
 Record data on workplace forms and documents
 Use basic mathematical processes for routine calculations
 Identify errors in recording information
 Complete reporting requirements 1
5.1. Completing forms relating to employment
o In every workplace you will be required to complete forms.
o Each workplace will have forms specific to their requirements.
o You must make sure that you know which forms to fill in, when you need to use forms and where to
find the necessary forms.
o Employment forms are an important part of the hiring process.
o They help employers document new employees' information, and can be used to collect requests and
reports.
5.1.1. Types of forms
o Following are some common employment forms
i) Job application forms
o One of the most common uses of employment forms is job applications.
o And there is a quite valid reason for this; they are simply practical and help you select the right person
for the right job position.
o By creating an employment application form for free, you can add your own questions to learn more
about the applicant, ask for phone numbers to contact them later, and collect resumes for further
inspection. 2
ii) Employee information forms
o An employee information form is a document used to collect information about an
employee.
o They are often used for background checks on new hires.
o And they provide vital facts about the employee and helps managers track vital data about
the individuals who work for their company.
o Using an employee information form, you can collect personal information, educational
background, and other details about employees.
iii) Request forms
o When an employee requests time off, the office manager needs to keep track of the requests
so that staff numbers can be adjusted if necessary.
o An employee request form is a document that helps you collect any type of employee
request.
o According to your goals, you can create a general request form or make it more detailed and
object-oriented. 3
iv) Employee report forms
o Employee report forms are documents that are used to record the details of an event, such as
a training session, meeting, project, or behaviors.
o As with other report forms, these will come in handy in many aspects.
o For example, managers can keep track of the details of different types of events, such as
staff meetings, sales, or other work-related actions by using employee report forms.
o Employees can also use reports to file a complaint or report inappropriate behaviors.
o Create an employee report form and always stay updated.
v) Receipt of company property forms
o If you provide employees with equipment, tools, or other company property, use this form
to document what was provided to the employee.
o This can help ensure that all property is returned and accounted for at the time of separation

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5.1.2. Filling a form
 When filling in a form:
 Read the form carefully
 Fill in all the required details
 Only include necessary information
 Write clearly and simply
 Check that you have completed it properly
 Send or give it to the appropriate person, or file in the appropriate place
5.2. Recording data on workplace forms and documents
o There are many different types of written communication you may need to use at work and most
types have a specific format.
 Common workplace documents and forms include:
 Emails  Letters
 Messages and notes
 Forms and checklists
 Text messages
 Memorandums  Facsimiles.
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A) Emails at work
o Emails at work are very different to personal emails.
o Personal emails are usually chatty and informal, very similar to talking face-to-face.
o At work, we need to maintain a professional approach at all times, including in emails.
o Remember that email creates a permanent record that can’t be erased.
o Your workplace may have formal rules about emails, which you need to locate and read.
 Emails should always include the:
 Receiver’s name  Date
 Sender’s name  Message
 Subject
 Email address.
o Some people receive many emails every day, so you need to make sure yours are as easy to read as
possible.

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o That means keeping them short and well written, putting the most important information first, using
bullet points and numbered lists where appropriate and writing the content well.
o You can make the text more readable by double spacing between paragraphs.
B) Messages and notes at work
o Messages and notes are used in an informal way to pass on information such as:
 Telephone calls
 Results of conversations
 Notes from meetings
 Site visit notes.
o Messages and notes are less formal than some other written communications but they still need to
always include; your name and the date and time.
o Messages and notes are not always kept after they’ve been read.
o Although they may be whether kept or thrown away, they are still an important part of communication
within the organization.
o For example, a telephone message might need to be placed in the receiver’s in-tray, not just left on top
of other papers on their desk.
o It’s important that the right person receives the information at the right time. 7
 The workplace might have a standard format, such as:
 A message pad for telephone messages
 A notebook for recording site visit notes.
o Even if they’re just written on a scrap of paper, you still need to write notes and messages
effectively, follow the writing process and include all the relevant information.
o Since messages and notes are most often handwritten, make sure they’re neat, and try not to squash
everything into a small space with tiny print.
C) Text messages at work
o Text messages are becoming a more common part of workplace communications.
o If texting is a part of your workplace communications, keep them professional.
 Some good rules to follow are:
 Don’t use emoticons (smileys) – they are too informal
 Avoid abbreviations as much as possible

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 Don’t use internet slang, such as lol
 Punctuate your message
 Use correct spelling.
o Only use text messaging if you know it is acceptable in your workplace.
o If you aren’t sure, check first.
D) Memorandums
o A memorandum, or memo for short, is a way of communicating something to a lot of people within
an organization at once.
o It may be sent as an email or printed out and distributed.
o Memos are less formal than a letter, so they don’t normally include a letterhead, address, salutation
or signature.
o Your workplace may have a specific memo template.
o Word-processing programs also have a standard template that you can use.

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 Headings that should be included at the top of a memo are;

E) Letters
o Letters are a formal type of written communication.
o Common types of letters include:
Orders
 Inquiries  Complaints
 Replies to letters  Job applications
 Responses to sales queries
o A letter is a permanent record that will often be kept.
o It will sometimes be the first contact that you have with clients and suppliers.
o Therefore, it’s important that your letter is well written and communicates your message clearly and effectively.
o If you’re writing a letter on a blank piece of paper, you should use the format below. 10
o However, your workplace will most likely have standard printed stationery with a letterhead for you
to use.
o If it does, you can leave out your business address, because the letterhead will already contain this;

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E) Forms and checklists
o Workplaces may use a variety of forms and checklists to help collect information.
o These may be kept as a permanent record, or used as a guide for writing some other document.
o It’s important to complete each part of the form or checklist, as it’s been designed to ensure
consistency and completeness of a task.
o Follow the instructions and fill in every section and if there is a reason not to fill in one section,
write ‘not applicable’ or ‘n/a’ so that anyone looking at it later knows that you didn’t just forget or
miss that part.
o The information on a workplace form or checklist may be needed much later, when you aren’t there
to explain anything that’s unclear or illegible.
o Applications for membership of a club or association, tax returns, medical fund claims, timesheets –
they all are require you write information on a prepared form.

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 There are a few simple rules for filling in forms:
 Print neatly
 Use a pen, not a pencil
 Spell correctly
 Use correct grammar
 Avoid slang and abbreviations
 Read right through the form before starting to fill it out
 Read all those boring instruction bits as people who design forms want you to fill them in
correctly so they usually put information in them to guide you as you go.
 That also applies to ‘tick boxes’ – read whether you’re supposed to tick them, cross them,
number them, write ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in them, etc.
 Some parts of the form may not apply to you or what you are doing so leave them blank or write
‘n/a’ which is short for ‘not applicable’

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 A form will usually have printed on it what you should do with it when you’ve finished filling it
in, for example, ‘post to the manager, po box 123 …’ or ‘applications can be submitted to any
post office …’ etc.
 If the form asks you to make sure you sign it, don’t put false information in a form.
 Many forms require you to sign that ‘the information in this form is true and correct’.
 If you sign a form with false information in it you could be in trouble later.
 For instance, if you knowingly give false information to an insurance company, you may find
that they won’t pay out when you make a claim.
F) Facsimiles
o A facsimile, or ‘fax’ for short, is a quick way to send photos, documents with signatures or
handwritten information.
o However, faxes can sometimes be blurred or smudged, so the end result may not be perfect.
o Faxes are good for sending information quickly but not so good if the quality of the document is
important.
o Faxes can be handwritten or typed and are usually sent with a cover sheet, so the people at the
receiving end know who the information is from and who should be receiving it.
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o If your message is short, it can just be included on the cover sheet instead of a separate page.
o Your workplace will probably have a special cover sheet to ensure that all the important information,
including the company letterhead and contact information is included.
o Word-processing programs also have a standard template that you can use.
 Cover sheets will generally include the following headings.

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5.3. Basic mathematical processes for routine calculations
o Basic math skills are those that involve making calculations of amounts, sizes or
other measurements.
o Core concepts like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division provide a
foundation for learning and using more advanced math concepts.
o Being proficient in basic math skills will help you both in the workplace and
your daily life.
o From calculating financial transactions upto measuring spaces and objects, math
skills are an important part of everyday life.
o Improving your basic math skills can help you get a job, perform better in your
current position and make your personal life easier to manage
5.3.1. Basic math skills in the workplace
o Here are just a few examples of how you may use basic math skills in the
workplace: 16
i) Calculating taxes
o Knowing how to calculate taxes is vital to running a financially stable business.
o You will need to know how to figure out sales tax, income tax, property taxes and more.
o While there are tools to help you calculate different taxes, knowing how to arrive at these numbers
will help you to understand the financial situation more comprehensively and avoid financial
mistakes.
ii) Giving presentations
o Business leaders often make decisions based on data.
o If you're making a presentation, you need to be able to back up your claims with facts and figures.
o Knowing how to create various graphs, charts and diagrams to explain and present your numerical
findings, as well as how to understand them when others present is a common requirement in the
workplace.
iii) Calculating salary and raises
o As an individual, if your salary is $60,000 a year, you’ll want to know how much a weekly
paycheck will be.
o Additionally, if your supervisor gives you a 10% raise, you’ll want to know how much additional
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income that is.
o Being able to calculate the numbers most important to you will help you make better decisions about
where to work and how much you can afford to spend in your personal life.
a) How to calculate gross pay for hourly wages in one pay period
o To determine gross pay, multiply the number of hours worked by the pay rate.
o Also, include any additional income earned, such as overtime.
o The following steps show how to calculate gross pay for hourly wages:
1. Determine the actual number of hours worked.
2. Multiply the number of hours worked by the hourly wage.
3. If there is overtime, multiply the number of overtime hours worked by the overtime pay rate.
4. Add regular pay and overtime pay together to find the gross pay for that pay period.
Example of gross pay for an hourly employee
o If an individual worked 40 hours in a given period and earned $20 per hour, the calculation would be:
Hours worked in pay period x hourly pay rate = gross pay per pay period
40 hours x $20 per hour = $800 gross pay per pay period
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 Overtime
o Federal law requires overtime to be paid at a minimum of one and a half times your regular salary.
o Overtime is also calculated in different ways per state.
o For instance, some states consider any hours worked over 8 per day to be overtime, while other
states consider any hours worked over 40 per work as overtime.
o So you might work a 10-hour day in one state and earn 2 hours of overtime, while in another state
you would not earn any overtime unless you worked more than 40 hours total for the whole week.
o Always check your local state law requirements for more information.
 Example of gross pay with overtime for an hourly employee
o Using our example above, here is how we would calculate gross pay that takes into account
overtime pay.
o If an employee worked 40 regular hours and 10 overtime hours in one week, with a regular pay rate
of $20 per hour, the calculation would look as follows:
40 regular hours x $20 per hour (regular pay) = $800
10 overtime hours x $30 per hour (regular pay x 1.5) = $300
$800 (regular pay) + $300 (overtime pay) = $1,100 gross pay for the pay period 19
b) How to calculate gross pay for salaried employees
o To calculate gross pay for a salaried employee, take their total annual salary and divide it by
the number of pay periods within the year.
o If a business pays its employees once a week, then you would have 52 pay periods in a year.
Annual salary/number of pay periods = gross pay per pay period
 Salary pay example
o An employee makes $37,440 per year at a business with 52 pay periods.
Annual salary/number of pay periods = gross pay per pay period
$37,440 / 52 = $720 gross pay per pay period
 Overtime
o Add any additional reimbursements the employee earned to that amount for their full gross
pay, including overtime.
o Although rare, lower-paid employees are eligible for overtime.
o If employees make an annual salary less than the Department of Labor's designated amount,
it's required that employers pay them overtime, if their work exceeds regular hours. 20
iv) Determining time estimates
o You can use your basic math skills to keep tasks to schedule.
o For example, you have a project due that has 10 equal parts.
o You have already completed three parts in nine days.
o When your manager asks how long the rest of the project will take, you can use basic math skills to
provide them with an estimate of three days per task or 18 workdays total.
5.3.2. How to optimize your daily routine
o Here are some simple steps you can use to optimize your daily schedule:
1. Make a list.
2. Structure your day.
3. Plan your day in advance.
4. Combine related tasks.
5. Use tools to help you concentrate.
6. Take breaks.

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5.4. Identifying errors in recording information
o Recording of information is an essential part of keeping your valuable business records and
information secure.
o It’s common for companies to make mistakes when managing their records due to carelessness or
inexperience.
 Following are top 10 errors made when recording information and how to avoid them;
1. Lack of information about the observer/collector
 Identify all of the observers, and if it is a group, include the group name as well grade class at.
If there are questions about the information later, this information will help the lead scientists follow
up with you.
2. Incomplete date
 Information sheets and field notebooks may be filed for a while before the information are entered.
 Be sure to include the year in the date.
 Unless another format is indicated, a clear way to write the date for scientific purposes are Day-
Month-Year.
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3. Not filling out the background/environmental information at all
 Often we jump right in with collecting information and following protocols and we forget
to fill in the background information.
 Do it first so that you don’t forget!
4. Measuring or recording the wrong units
 Measure and record the units specified on the information sheet, online information entry
portal, or in the protocols.
 If no units are specified, make sure to record the units you used along with the measurement.
5. Measuring or recording information with the wrong level of precision
 Check the precision of any instruments you are using and be sure to record the information
using that level of precision.
 If choices or ranges are provided for information entry, use those choices rather than the exact
measurement.
6. Information that just don’t add up or just don’t make sense
 Learn enough about the system you are studying to recognize when you get nonsensical
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measurements.
7. Guessing
 It is okay if you are unable to identify something or unable to measure something.
 It is better to write/enter “unknown”, “unsure”, or “unable to measure” than to simply guess at
something.
 Falsifying information (even without a malicious purpose) is considered unethical in the scientific
community.
8. Illegible handwriting
 If you are recording information by hand (rather than entering it into a mobile application), use print
rather than cursive.
 Make sure others can read the writing.
 Sometimes copying a information sheet over is the best solution, but beware of errors that you might
introduce when copying.
9. Missing information with no explanation
 It is okay to have missing information, but you should provide an explanation for why it was
missing.
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 Be sure to indicate negative information.
 For example, if you are surveying small mammals using live traps, you should record the traps that
did not catch anything as well as those that did.
10. Not returning the information to the proper place or person!
 Citizen science becomes a wasted effort if the information cannot be used to answer a research
question, monitor the effects of a management strategy, or provide background information on the
system under study.
 Often when citizen scientists do not find the plant, animal, or other thing that they are looking for in
the field, they do not return any information at all.
 A record of the fact that they were out observing at all and the background information from those
observations (observer names, date, environmental information) are important pieces of the puzzle
and should be treated as valuable information.
5.5. Completing reporting requirements
o A requirements report is a document that outlines the necessary elements of a project or system.
o It includes information on the purpose, scope, and goals of the project, as well as the stakeholders
involved. 25
o The requirements report also details what needs to be done in order to complete the project
successfully.
o In the course of creating strong general reporting requirements for any given system, an analyst must
consider the following:
A) Report contents
o The data fields contained in the report and how it is formatted is where the stakeholders will want to
spend their time.
o They usually have a good idea of how they want the report to look.
o However, stakeholders may not be aware of technology capabilities that can highlight certain data on
the report by changing color, bold, or changing the font or size of the text.
B) Report format
o Along with content of the information contained in the report, in what format should it be delivered?
o Paper reports are no longer the only option.

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o Some recipients may wish to reformat or resort the data once the report is delivered; Excel
spreadsheet makes a good format for these recipients.
o When this is not necessary, yet you wish to go green, PDF format may be a good option.
C) Underlying infrastructure
o Consider the infrastructure in place when making recommendations on changing the reporting system
of the organization.
o Making a recommendation that completely changes the infrastructure, or that the current
infrastructure can not support usually will meet with great opposition.
o Is the client running a Windows or Linux network, IBM midrange or mainframe system?
D) Report delivery system
o The days of the large data center with 10 printers that look like washing machines that print reports
all day and then someone walks throughout the office delivering paper reports are coming to an end.
o You may be able to find this still today in very large organizations, but just like the floppy disc, this
too will some day be a thing of the past.

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o Organizations that wish to reduce their paper usage can consider having reports delivered to shared
folders on the company’s network or through the company’s email system.
o Both PDF and Excel reports can be delivered either way.
o You can further reduce costs by having the application that creates the report deliver it to its final
destination in the format desired.
o Most systems have tools built within them that assist in accomplishing this task.
o There is usually third-party software available that can do this when the system lacks the tools itself
to get the job done.
E) Security
o Some reports may have sensitive or proprietary information, such as financial or executive reports,
that you will want to limit the access to these reports.
o Reports delivered via the company’s email system are delivered to individuals or distribution lists; so
you control who gets these reports.
o The downside of this method is that if the report was delivered to 10 recipients you now have 10
copies of a sensitive report out there.
o Windows network folders can have limited access rights assigned to them. 28
o So setting up folders and assigning limited access rights to them then having reports delivered
directly to those folders solves many issues related to delivering reports for the organization.
F) Report list
o Organizations have spent a lot of money trying to maintain report lists.
o Keeping it current with additions, removals and delivery instruction changes can be a daunting task.
o Sometimes when an application is used to deliver reports, necessary information can be extracted
from the setup to create a report list.
o If the reports are delivered to Windows network folders, open the folder…there is your list.
o Reducing the resources necessary to maintain the report list is another way to save your client money.
o So capture it from an application setup or from the network folders to automatically create the list.
o Also, if a list is not required, don’t spend the resources to maintain one.

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END OF CHAPTER FIVE
THANK YOU!!

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