Document Your Work to Avoid Layoffs
When companies make cuts, decisions happen in closed rooms between people who don't see your daily work. They rely on what's documented, what's visible, and what managers remember under pressure. If your contributions exist only in your own memory, they might not factor into those conversations.
A work log is your evidence file. It creates a record of your contributions that survives budget meetings and reorganizations.
What Actually Needs Documentation
You don't need to log every email or meeting. Focus on three specific things:
Decisions you influenced. When you recommend an approach and the team follows it, record it. When you identify a problem before it becomes a crisis, document it. When you talk someone out of a bad idea, write it down. These moments show judgment, and judgment makes someone difficult to replace.
Problems you solved. Document the situations where something went wrong and you fixed it. The system crashed and you restored it. The client was angry and you calmed them down. The project was behind and you found a way to catch up. These instances prove you handle adversity.
Work that prevented future problems. You updated documentation that was out of date. You trained someone on a process they didn't understand. You caught an error before it reached the client. This work is invisible until you're gone, which is exactly when people realize they needed you.
The Work Log Template
Keep this simple. Complexity means you won't maintain it.
Open a document on your computer or use a notes app on your phone. At the end of each day, spend five minutes adding entries. Use this format:
Date | Category | What Happened | Impact
October 26 | Decision | Recommended we delay the product launch by one week to fix the checkout bug | Launch went smoothly, no customer complaints about broken functionality
October 25 | Problem Solved | Client called upset about missing data in their report, tracked down the issue to an API change, fixed it within two hours | Client stayed with us, wrote positive email to my manager
October 24 | Prevention | Updated the onboarding guide with new security protocols | Three new hires completed setup without needing my help
Three columns. One sentence each for what happened and why it mattered. Adapt this structure to match your work, but keep the basic elements: what you did and what changed because of it.
Maintaining Your Log
Set a daily reminder for the last 15 minutes of your workday. Before you close your laptop, add your entries. If nothing significant happened that day, write "maintenance work, no major issues." That entry still shows you were present and contributing.
Keep the file on your personal device or email it to yourself. Store a copy outside company systems so you retain access regardless of what happens.
Review the log monthly. Look for patterns that indicate your value. If you're consistently solving problems related to one system, you're the expert on that system. If you're regularly making decisions about client relationships, you're the client expert. These patterns become the foundation for performance reviews and conversations about your role.
How Documentation Changes Outcomes
This log protects you in situations where decisions are subjective. When managers rank employees, they rely on recent memory and emotional impressions. Someone who speaks up in meetings feels more valuable than someone who quietly solves problems. Your log corrects for these biases by providing specific examples of impact.
When you're asked about your contributions during reviews, you have concrete evidence ready. You don't say "I'm good at client management." You say "I retained four upset clients in the last quarter by resolving their issues before they escalated." One statement is an opinion. The other is a fact with context.
When your manager writes your performance review, you provide the content. Send them your monthly summary of significant contributions. Most managers will use what you give them, which means your language ends up in your official record.
Keep the log private as your personal reference until specific moments require it: performance reviews, promotion discussions, or conversations where you need to demonstrate your contributions with evidence.
Start Today
Open a document right now. Title it "Work Log 2025." Add today's date and one entry about something you did today that had an impact, even a small one.
Tomorrow, add another entry. Do this for a week. At the end of the week, read what you've captured. Your work is likely more significant than it feels in the moment. This log makes that significance visible when it matters most.
The people who maintain clear records of their contributions have better outcomes during difficult periods. Build that record now, while you have time to do it thoughtfully.
