A disciplinary meeting is a one where an employer announces or takes some type of disciplinary action. These meetings are usually stressful and demanding for both parties – the employee and employer. In fact, the employee may have never attended a disciplinary meeting and the employer might have never conducted one before. As both parties are unprepared and inexperienced, they often end up maing rash comments and statements and decisions under high stress that could have legal implications that they unaware about until later. So at a disciplinary meeting, an employer always faces the risk of being sued for defamatory remarks or discrimination. That’s why it is highly advisable that companies get the proceedings of their disciplinary meetings transcribed by an independent transcription company which can provide clear impartial documentation of the hearing or review. Here are some helpful suggestions to get the most out of outsourcing the transcription of disciplinary hearings:
- Obtain the Permission – You must inform the person in the hearing that you want to record the disciplinary hearing and start the recording only after getting the permission. If the decision is mutual, you can arrive at an agreement with them to make one recording to submit before the independent agency, which will send back a copy of transcribed document to both parties.
- Ensure a High Quality Recording – It is very important to ensure a high quality recording that is clearly audible for transcription. In the case of disciplinary meetings, verbatim transcription is the rule as each and every word and phrase along with non-verbal sounds needs to be transcribed so as to understand the finer nuances of what is being said and determine authenticity of the statements. For instance, hesitations or faltering can have important implications. Every um, er, laugh and so on should be audible if the transcriptionist is to generate a complete transcript that serves the intended purpose. Using a good digital recorder and ensuring that there are no background noises to disturb the proceedings of the meeting can ensure a high quality recording.
- Define Participants and their Roles – When the meeting begins, indicate who is exactly present and what their roles are. Also, state the purpose of the hearing and ask everyone to introduce themselves. Starting the meeting in formal way will help the transcriptionist to understand what the agenda is and clarify as to who the speaker is. The transcriptionist can also make notes on who speaks the most, whether the person under review makes only occasional comments, and so on.
- Ensure Confidentiality – The confidentiality of any disciplinary procedure must be preserved during transcribing. So make sure the transcription services you rely on can ensure this confidentiality and security. Reliable transcription companies will readily agree to sign the confidentiality agreement you propose.
Agree on a specific turnaround time with your independent agency, keeping in mind that a very fast turnaround time may cost more. Verbatim will also cost more than non-verbatim transcription. Outsourcing the documentation of your disciplinary hearings to an established legal transcription company with an experienced team can ensure high quality verbatim transcripts.
