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ER Case Report Template

Employee relations cases demand consistency, precision and care. Whether you’re documenting a complaint, leading an investigation or following up on a policy concern, how you document it matters. But if you’re just getting your employee relations function up and running, it can feel impossible to know where to begin.

That’s where an employee relations case report template comes in. This one’s built for real-world ER pros by people who’ve lived it.

What Should Be Included in an Employee Relations Case Report?

If you’re unsure what to include in your employee relations case report, you’re in good company—we get this question a lot.

Our template will help you keep track of:

Core case details: Dates, methods, case number, the works
The team involved: Who’s working the case and their roles
The issues at play: Categorized and described
Key documents: With upload dates, reviewers and specifics
A running case history: Chronological updates
Actions taken: With outcomes and follow-up
A final summary: So conclusions are clear at a glance
Fields for every party involved: Subject, witness, complainant — with their info and org context

Following this format empowers you to build a defensible, review-ready case file instead of just tracking tasks.

Why Is Good Documentation Critical in Employee Relations?

In employee relations, strong documentation is foundational.

It protects your people, your process and your organization. When done well, it builds clarity and confidence across the board.

When documentation is vague, inconsistent or incomplete, things fall through the cracks. HR loses credibility, employees feel dismissed and legal risk multiplies.

But with a well-documented case file, you can:

Give employees confidence that issues are taken seriously
Ensure accountability across the board
Create an objective record that removes ambiguity
Empower future HR pros to step in with full context if needed

In short: documentation builds trust, drives better decisions, and ensures every issue is handled with care and consistency. You don’t need a five-alarm situation to begin documenting. In fact, the earlier you begin, the better positioned you’ll be to intervene constructively — and protect everyone involved.

Think of this template as your operating manual for handling employee issues. The more often you use it, the more natural your process will become.

When Should You Use an ER Case Report Template?

Short answer: whenever there’s a people issue, even if it seems minor at the onset.

Every ER case, no matter the size, benefits from structured documentation. In fact, some of the most critical details are found in the “small stuff” that never gets tracked… until it’s too late.

You can use this template for:

Workplace complaints and conduct concerns

Harassment or discrimination investigations

Performance-related issues and feedback escalations

Interpersonal disputes or manager conflicts

Fact-finding conversations or informal resolutions

If you’re still relying on loose notes, email threads or mental checklists, this template empowers you to handle cases consistently, every time.

What Are the Benefits of a Structured Case Report?

Let’s break it down:

Clarity: You’ll know exactly what’s been done — and what needs to happen next.

Consistency: Every case gets the same level of care, regardless of who’s handling it, which boosts employee trust in HR and protects your organization.

Coverage: You won’t forget key details, nor will future reviewers. Plus, if the colleague who worked on the case leaves, the case context won’t go with them.

Credibility: Clean documentation helps demonstrate fairness, neutrality and process integrity.

Compliance: Should legal or regulatory scrutiny arise, your case file is ready.

The bottom line? You’re building an auditable, defensible record that shows HR handled the situation correctly.

What’s the Long-Term Solution for Managing ER Cases?

While this template gets you on the path to documenting employee relations issues the right way, it’s just the beginning.

As your ER function matures, you’ll need more than a static document. That’s when it’s time to level up to an HR case management platform — one that’s secure, scalable and built with best practices baked in (like HR Acuity!).

Why Upgrade to a Case Management Platform?

A purpose-built, best-in-class HR case management platform enables you to:

Handle cases consistently, with standardized workflows and embedded best practices
Stay compliant with evolving employment laws and internal policy standards
Identify bias and gaps with real-time analytics
Track case health and completeness with alerts
Surface patterns before they escalate into problems with customizable, robust analytics
Leverage AI to surface risks, streamline casework and reduce bias with models trained on two decades of real-world data—without ever replacing human judgment.

Plus, your documentation lives in one secure, centralized location — not scattered across spreadsheets or inboxes.

As a result, your team will:

Ensure employee issues are handled fairly and consistently, boosting employee trust in HR

Maintain compliance with ever-changing regulations, reducing legal risk

Build trust through transparency and follow-through, leading to increased confidence in your ER processes

With customizable templates, standardized workflows and integrated analytics, a case management platform gives you full visibility from the moment an issue is raised through resolution and aftercare.

Plus, real-time case health tracking and powerful reporting make it easier to identify patterns, spot risk and continuously improve your approach.

We built this template to help you now — but we’ll be here when you’re ready to level up to an HR case management platform, too.

Ready to Start Documenting Employee Issues the Right Way?

This ER Case Report Template is your first step toward a more consistent, scalable approach to employee relations. It’s clear, easy to use and built with real ER pros in mind.

Use it to: