Missing document checklist for a workplace review

The documents most often missing from a work file are the signed contract, the version of a policy that applied at the time, recent performance reviews, the final pay statement, the Record of Employment in Canada or final pay records in the United States, a benefits summary, and any termination or change letter. Before a review, list each one as have, partial or missing.

For each missing item, write one neutral line: what the document is, the approximate date, who likely holds it, and whether you have asked for it. A clear gap list helps a lawyer, union representative or advisor see what exists and what still needs to be requested, without you guessing at its contents.

When a document is missing, it is tempting to describe what you think it says. A reviewer will usually want to know the difference between I have the contract and it says this, and I remember signing something in my first week. Listing gaps separately keeps that difference visible.

A gap list also saves meeting time. Instead of discovering halfway through a consultation that the offer letter is in a drawer somewhere, the reviewer sees at a glance which items are confirmed, which are partial and which still need to be found or requested.

Use this as a checklist. Not every item applies to every job, and a missing item is not a problem in itself. The point is to know what you have.

• Signed employment contract: people often keep the unsigned offer email but not the signed version, or the signature page only
• Later agreements: a new contract on promotion, a non-compete or confidentiality agreement signed mid-employment, a remote work agreement
• The policy version in force at the time: the handbook may have been revised since the events you care about
• Job description: especially the one that matched your duties when things changed
• Performance reviews: the most recent two or three, plus any written warning or improvement plan
• Final pay statement: the last stub, including any payout of vacation, overtime or commission
• In Canada, the Record of Employment issued when your earnings were interrupted
• In the United States, final paycheck records and any separation paperwork the employer provided
• Benefits summary: the plan booklet or summary plan description, and any letter about continuation of coverage
• Termination, layoff or change letter, and any written reasons or follow-up email

A good gap entry is short and factual. It says what is missing, not what you believe the missing document proves. Use the same fields for every gap so the list reads cleanly:

• Document: the plain name, such as signed employment contract or Q4 commission statement
• Approximate date: the month and year, or a range if you are unsure
• Likely holder: HR, payroll, the benefits provider, a former manager, a government portal
• Status: have, partial, missing, requested
• What you do have instead: an unsigned draft, a reference in an email, your own note

Example gap entry: Signed employment contract, around September 2022. Likely held by HR. Status: missing. I have the unsigned offer email from the recruiter dated 2022-08-29 (R-02) and remember signing a paper copy on my first day. Not yet requested.

Compare that with: They never gave me my contract because they knew it did not support the change. The second version mixes a gap with an assumption about motive. Keep motives out of the gap list entirely.

Some records sit with government or plan administrators, not only with the employer, and there are published routes to them. These are general pointers; which rules apply to you depends on your province, territory or state and on who your employer is.

• Canada, Record of Employment: the Government of Canada says employees can view and print ROEs issued by their employer through My Service Canada Account.
• Canada, personal information held by an employer: the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada explains that employees can view personal information their employer holds about them and challenge its accuracy.
• United States, final pay: the Department of Labor's last paycheck page says federal law does not require immediate payment, some states may, and you can contact its Wage and Hour Division or your state labor department if the regular payday has passed.
• United States, benefit plan documents: the Department of Labor's retirement plan guide says plan documents and the summary plan description are available from the plan administrator, and that EBSA can help if a plan does not provide them.
• United States, state rules: the Department of Labor keeps a directory of state labor offices for questions about state-level records.

Access to a full personnel file is handled differently from place to place, and some employers have their own internal process. If you are not sure whether you can ask for a particular record, that is a good question to bring to a lawyer or your employment standards office.

1. Search your personal email, phone and paper files for each item on the checklist before assuming it is missing.
2. Mark each one have, partial or missing, and note where the copy you have is stored.
3. For each missing item, write the gap entry with its likely holder.
4. Check whether an official portal already holds a copy, such as My Service Canada Account for an ROE or a benefits provider's member site.
5. Decide which missing items you want to request now and which to raise with a reviewer first.
6. Send any requests in writing, keep a copy, and record the date sent.
7. Update the status when a response arrives, and link the received document to the original gap entry.

A plain request can be two sentences. For example: I am writing to ask for a copy of my final pay statement for the period ending June 30, 2026, and a copy of my signed employment contract. Please send them to this email address. Keep the tone the same as any routine administrative request.

Some gaps stay gaps, and that is fine. Trying to fill them in the wrong way can damage the credibility of everything else in the file.

• Do not recreate a missing document from memory and present it as a copy; write a dated note describing what you recall instead.
• Do not backdate notes. If you write today about an event from March, date the note today and state the March date inside it.
• Do not log into systems you no longer have permission to use, even if the password still works.
• Do not ask coworkers to send you documents from their accounts or files.
• Investigation reports, witness statements and internal HR notes are usually held by the employer; list them as gaps and let a reviewer advise on whether and how to request them.

Should I wait until I have everything before seeing a reviewer? Usually not. A file with a clear gap list is useful as it is, and the reviewer can tell you which gaps matter for your situation and which do not. Waiting for every document can mean waiting indefinitely.

What if I never received a written contract? Note that as a fact: no written contract received, to my knowledge. Add the documents that describe the terms you did receive, such as the offer email, the first pay stub and any message confirming your start date or rate.

How do I know which version of a policy applied? Look for a version date, a revision number or a date in the file name, and compare it to the dates in your timeline. If you cannot tell, write that as a gap: version in force in March 2026 unknown; current version dated August 2026.

Is it a problem if my former employer does not respond? Record the date you asked and any reply, then bring the gap list to a reviewer. Unanswered requests are part of the record too, and the reviewer can suggest what, if anything, to do next.

A spreadsheet can hold a gap list. SteadyFile builds it into the file: gaps and open questions have their own list beside the records index, so a missing signed contract sits next to the unsigned offer email that partly fills it. A readiness checklist helps you see what is still thin before you share the file. Requests you send can be logged as dated entries, and when the document arrives it joins the index with its own ID. You can start free in the browser at app.steadyfile.com without an account, and export a chronological PDF packet that shows a reviewer what you have and what is still missing.