An official memo and a memo - what is the difference between them?

Within one enterprise, information is transmitted between structural divisions using information and reference documents. Among them, it is worth highlighting the memorandum. Through it, they turn to senior management with various messages or with requests to make decisions on important issues. Although a memorandum is an internal document, it has its own rules for drafting depending on work situations and goals.

There are three sample forms to choose from here

Types and forms of memos

It is believed that there is no uniform form that the content and design of a note must correspond to. This is not so, since the drafting of internal documents of an organization is regulated by at least the general rules for writing a business letter.

Notes are classified depending on their content on

1. Informational (bringing certain information to the attention of management);
2. Initiative (through them the employee submits proposals for improving the organization);
3. Reporting (providing information about a certain stage in the organization’s activities);

And, another classification, into internal and external - depending on the addressee (the note is sent either to one of the management officials of the organization or to higher authorities).

What is the difference between a service report and a report?

It's quite simple. Official is one large class of documents, which includes notes for various purposes moving within the enterprise. Reporting is already a subclass included in the service class. This is the difference between them.

Features of memos

The report is sent only to senior management. This distinguishes it from other types of notes within the same company. That is, addressed to those who are empowered to make important decisions for the proper functioning of the company. The document must contain information that, depending on the purpose and proposals, will entail certain actions.

Difference between memo and memo

The memorandum is sent to the general director, that is, along a kind of vertical line. A memo is an exchange of information between employees of equal status. OKUD does not include information about internal memos, so it is compiled by employees on their own initiative.

The difference between a memorandum and an explanatory note

The explanatory note is also sent to senior management, but the main difference here is the goal. That is, to provide an explanation of the current situation in order to draw a conclusion about the presence (absence) of illegal actions on the part of the employee. As with the report, the CEO will make a decision, but this only applies to the consideration of disciplinary violations. The explanatory note is reflected in the OKUD and is written at the request of the authorities.

IMPORTANT! The initiative to write a memo can come either from the employee or at the request of authorized persons, depending on the situation. This document has legal force.

Functions of a memo

The main goal is to convey the main information to the director, which will be followed by certain actions. The functions of the document may be different:

1. Resolve controversial or conflict situations between employees of the same status or between superiors and subordinates.
2. Solve problems both in production and in administrative management.
3. Rationalization proposals that can significantly improve production performance.
4. To resolve long-term conflict situations, that is, to communicate your position.
5. Express disagreement with a previously made management decision.
6. File a complaint about the refusal of employees to follow the instructions of their immediate superior.
7. Submit a progress report.
8. Resolve the issue of unlawful transfer of responsibilities.
9. Report cases of violation of work order to management.
10. Report situations that have resulted in property damage or work-related injuries.
11. Communicate distinctive performance results that require a response from higher management (bonuses, incentives, awards).

Scheme for writing a note to an offending employee

There is no clearly regulated way to compose a note: it is written either in free form or in accordance with a unified template, if one is fixed by the local regulations of the organization. The general requirements for writing this document are compliance with the rules of business correspondence: information must be presented clearly, logically, events - in chronological order, correctly - without punctuation, spelling and stylistic errors: if safety requirements are violated - facts and their consequences (possible or already occurred) are stated ), without a personal assessment of what happened.

When drawing up a document, you can use the national standard for drawing up organizational and administrative documents (GOST R 7.0.97-2016) as a support. It is important to remember that a memorandum is a business document officially certified by the signature of the originator, therefore it must be filled out as an official document.

The procedure for drawing up the document, in accordance with the rules for drawing up official papers, should look like this:

• The organization's letterhead is used to write the document. In his absence, the note can be written on A4 sheet;
• In the upper right corner the addressee is indicated in the person of the manager, indicating the position, surname, first name and patronymic in the genitive case. For example, “Director of LLC “Organizatsiya” Sidorov Ivan Petrovich”;
• Under this entry the data of the compiler is indicated in the genitive case. For example, “from a specialist in the quality control department, Mikhail Alexandrovich Ivanov”;
• Below, in the middle of the form, the name of the document is indicated. For example, “memo about violation of official duties”;
• Next is the main part, the text, which sets out the facts of the incident and indicates the details of the offending employee (full name, position);
• In conclusion - the signature of the compiler with a transcript and an indication of the position held.

Table

Competent sample in 2020-2021

We have prepared for you several typical samples of memos and now you can simply download them to your PC, and then replace some of the text information with your own. It will be right.

Sample in WORD format, 2021

About failure to fulfill official duties (download DOC.) 2020

On violation of labor discipline (download DOC.)

About incorrect behavior (download DOC.)

Service note about absenteeism (download DOC.)

If you think that your knowledge is not enough, then don’t rush to write a note, read the article to the end, remember the advice and recommendations of experts and apply them in practice.

Okay, let's move on to practical options.

Example 1: Reason / Employee does not fulfill professional duties (sample)

Each employee of the organization has job responsibilities assigned to him through certain documents (employment contract, job description). When hiring an employee, the employer must provide information about the list of tasks that the employee is obliged to perform in accordance with the employment contract signed by him, and failure to fulfill duties is a direct violation of this contract.

If an employee does not fulfill the tasks assigned to him or creates an obstacle to the performance of professional duties by his colleagues, then they, in turn, are obliged to inform the administration of the enterprise or senior management about this.

Before taking action against the offender, management must be convinced of the illegality of his actions. For example, the latter stopped going to work, and a report was drawn up based on this fact. The accused employee indicated in the explanatory note that he was absent (absenteeism) due to a delay in payment of wages by 15 days, which he had previously notified management about in writing. He will go to work only when the organization expresses its willingness to pay the required amount of money. At the same time, the actions of an employee who does not go to work cannot be called unlawful, since his right not to go to work in case of non-payment of wages is regulated by Article 142 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

Now for a clear example.

To the director of DomStroy LLC, Sergeev Sylvester Pavlovich, from the head of the sales department, Dmitriev Ivan Andreevich

Memorandum

I would like to bring to your attention that on October 24, 2020, an employee of the sales department, Sergey Petrovich Ivanov, who was subordinate to me, did not comply with my request to advise a client who wanted to make a large sale (he was the only employee not busy with work). The sale was made only due to the fact that I advised the client.

Based on the facts presented, I propose to involve Ivanov I.P. to disciplinary liability.

Or, a more specific proposal...

Based on the facts presented, I propose to declare Ivanova I.P. severe reprimand.

Head of Retail Sales Department (signature) Dmitriev I.A.

October 24, 2020

Example 2: Reason / Employee violated discipline (sample)

A memo on violation of discipline rules during the labor process is the most common type of this document. It should be created in the event that management needs to be notified of an employee’s violation of codes of conduct and work process rules. Sometimes drawing up such a report is necessary: ​​for example, if an employee monitoring work activities must draw up a daily report on compliance with the work schedule. If an employee has violated internal regulations (for example, he was late for work), then his misconduct must be reported to his superiors. A note can also be drawn up proactively if the work team (or one of the employees) is not satisfied with the behavior of one of the colleagues, which is expressed, for example, in a disdainful attitude towards work or other people.

In any case, before punishing the offending employee, management must require him to write an explanatory note. This is required by Article 139 of the Labor Code.

To the director of DomStroy LLC, Sergeev Sylvester Pavlovich, from the head of the sales department, Dmitriev Ivan Andreevich

Memorandum

I report that on November 25, 2020, an employee of the sales department, Sergey Petrovich Ivanov, who was subordinate to me, did not go to work without first notifying me, his immediate supervisor. When I called him to find out the reason for his absence, he answered rudely and ended the call.

I ask you to bring this employee to disciplinary action.

Head of Retail Sales Department (signature) Dmitriev I.A.

November 25, 2020

When applying for a job, the applicant must be informed about the organization’s internal labor regulations (ILR), familiarized with existing regulations, told about job responsibilities, work schedule, etc. By signing the contract, the employee undertakes to comply with these rules. The signature implies that the employee is familiar with the rules of labor discipline. If they are violated, the employee may suffer different punishments depending on the severity of the offense: from a reprimand or deprivation of bonuses to dismissal.

Example 3: Reason for compilation / Incorrect or immoral behavior of the offender (sample)

Incorrect, sometimes boorish behavior of an employee is not always a direct violation of discipline, but it can “shatter” the microclimate established in the team, and the note acts rather as a signal to the management on the one hand and the employee on the other, and is created with the aim of preventing such behavior of the latter in the future . But if the employee’s actions fall under the category of administrative or criminal law, management must take measures appropriate to the situation, including filing a statement with the police.

A note about incorrect behavior, or rather a sample of it, may look like this:

To the director of DomStroy LLC, Sergeev Sylvester Pavlovich, from the head of the sales department, Dmitriev Ivan Andreevich

Memorandum

I would like to bring to your attention that on December 26, 2020, an employee of the sales department, Sergey Petrovich Ivanov, who was subordinate to me, allowed himself unflattering statements using taboo language towards me, as well as customers and other employees with whom I spoke during the day. I dare to suggest that he said this while in a clearly inadequate state. This is not the first time this employee has resorted to using obscene language towards his colleagues, which irritates the entire work team and interferes with the performance of official duties.

I ask you to bring this employee to disciplinary liability for inappropriate behavior in the workplace.

Head of Retail Sales Department (signature) Dmitriev I.A.

December 26, 2020

Example 4. Reason for compilation / Absenteeism (absenteeism)

The truancy report is drawn up as part of the internal investigation of the incident. During the event, the facts of what happened are recorded, relevant documents are drawn up, and an internal memo about the violation is drawn up. .

It is necessary that the report be submitted to management, otherwise it will be considered invalid. It is better to hand it directly into the hands of the director or head of the desired department. In the absence of the manager at the workplace, the certificate should be given to the secretary, who, in turn, will pass it on to the necessary senior employee.

What can be considered failure to fulfill official duties?

Each employee has specific job responsibilities. This is a list of actions that the employee must perform, clearly indicated in the job description or employment contract. When applying for a job, a citizen must be informed of his labor function; the employer has the right to demand its fulfillment in full accordance with the instructions or contract. If obligations are not fulfilled, this is a violation of the agreement between the parties. The employee’s immediate supervisor or any other employee has the right to report non-fulfillment or refusal to perform duties to the administration of the enterprise for a decision to be made. This is why a memorandum on failure to fulfill official duties is needed; a sample of such a document can be developed in an organization as a template (you can use the example from our article).

At the same time, according to Art. 142 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, an employee may suspend his labor activity and not perform his labor function if wages are not paid, and this will not be considered a violation of the contract, since there is no counter security. In accordance with Art. 142 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, this is permissible if payment is delayed by more than 15 days, a prerequisite is written notification to the administration.

In what cases is a document needed?

The note, being an internal document of the organization, allows for horizontal communications between different departments. In this case, to inform management about an emergency situation initiated by one or another employee. Management, in turn, is obliged to review this document and take the necessary actions to correct the problem. Since we are talking about a memo, actions must be taken against the employee. The decision to impose (or not to impose) punishment is made by management: the offending employee may face either disciplinary action or dismissal from the organization.

The form and reason for writing a document are not regulated by law, but a unified form for drawing up a document can be approved by local acts of the organization. The reasons for writing a note usually include:

• The employee’s need to express his point of view in the event of a prolonged conflict situation;
• The emergence of an initiative employee with an idea to improve the organization, both to create better working conditions and to generally rationalize production activities;
• The emergence of a need to attract the attention of management in the event of misconduct by one of the employees: be it inappropriate behavior or failure to fulfill the production tasks assigned to him;
• Unlawful transfer of authority to subordinates;
• An employee’s disagreement with one or another decision of the organization’s management;
• The emergence of a situation that could cause material or other damage to the organization;
• The employee’s achievement of certain successes for which, in his opinion, he should be rewarded (bonuses, etc.);
• The emergence of administrative or industrial disputes;
• The need arises to create a report documenting a certain stage of the organization’s activities, etc.

Document requirements

In the list of primary accounting documents used by government agencies, determined by Appendix No. 1 of Order No. 52n of the Ministry of Finance of Russia dated March 30, 2015, there is no unified form for drawing up this paper. It is written in any form on a blank sheet of A4 paper. If necessary, in an organization with a branched structure, it is possible to develop this form.

The sample memo form contains details that allow users to quickly orient themselves to the essence of the document, its source, relevance of date and serial number. This document is not subject to mandatory registration. But an organization may decide to register them, for example, for control purposes.

For write-off

When drawing up this document, it is necessary to indicate which pieces of equipment or machinery should be written off and why. Be sure to refer to objective facts - expiration of service life, etc. The paper is usually written by the head of the administrative and economic department. The writing rules remain the same.

To replace

It is written by an interested person - usually addressed to the general director or the person responsible for technical support (how to write a note addressed to the director?). For example, you need to replace your computer. In this case, you should indicate :

• the reason why you want to replace it;
• type of unit, what additional functions, in your opinion, should be present;
• date, signature.

We draw up a memo correctly - how to draw up a document for an increase in salary or position, about a business trip, for the issuance of funds or for car repairs? Is it possible to learn how to correctly prepare this paper for recalculation, payment or deduction of salary, for the purchase of goods, employee training, transfer to another position and for time off?

Who is eligible

In general, any employee can write a memo, but in practice the process of drawing up this paper is based on the principle of a hierarchical ladder: that is, the head of a structural unit writes a memo addressed to the manager represented by the general director. In addition to this, the conflict must first be resolved at the local level, with the participation of the head of the unit, and only if he considers it necessary to convey information about the incident to his superiors, a report is drawn up.

The document can be drawn up by another employee, but it will still need to be certified by the immediate supervisor (the nature of the certification is determined by the organization. As a rule, it is enough to put a signature, its transcript and the date of review).

But what to do if the report is written to the immediate (supervisor) manager? Do you still need to obtain a visa from your manager? Of course not. If subordinate employees consider it necessary to convey to the director information about an offense committed by their leader, there is no need for a visa. The paper can be provided to the general director. It is compiled according to the same rules and is designed according to the templates that we have given below.

Result of reviewing the report

Having studied the documented facts, the manager makes a decision by making a written resolution.

So, if information about a subordinate’s absenteeism is brought to the attention of the director, and an act of refusal to give written explanations is attached, the manager writes off the submitted report to the HR inspector to prepare a dismissal order.

Manager's reaction to the document

The purpose of creating a report is the need to inform management, therefore it is transferred to the director of the organization, his deputy or other responsible employee, in accordance with local documents. A responsible person must consider the provided note, then make a decision and, through a resolution, start its implementation.

Disciplinary action can only be taken after receiving an explanatory note from the offending employee. However, refusal to draw it up does not mean that management should turn a blind eye to what happened. In any case, the enterprise must initiate an investigation into the facts set out in the document. The goal is to obtain evidence and document the fact of an offense committed by a violator in a special act. Otherwise, the punishment will be illegal and may be challenged by regulatory authorities.

How to write a report correctly

Regardless of what type the report belongs to, there are certain points in the structure that must be observed. As a rule, a report can be divided into three independent parts.

1. Facts, events, reasons that prompted you to write a report. This part should give the reader an answer to the question “What happened?”
2. The author's thoughts on the current situation, his suggestions, options for possible solutions.
3. Conclusions and recommendations of the author of the note.

Accounting for official notes at the enterprise

The records management service of an enterprise performs a number of important functions, among which one task stands out: creating conditions for the prompt search for necessary documentation. In our case, papers transferred to management and information accompanying them. In order to ensure efficiency and systematization, registration forms of documents are used.

Why do documents need to be registered? Is it just a matter of ease of searching for documents? Official, explanatory and, of course, memos, like any document, have a certain semantic load, but that’s not the only thing. The need for registration is associated primarily with the need to obtain a resolution from the authorities, that is, a verdict, a resolution of the top manager. That is, registration forms are needed not only to ensure the efficiency of searching, systematization (accounting) of documents, but also to monitor their execution.

Depending on the peculiarities of office work, an organization can choose the most convenient form of registration of internal (and other) documents: journal, card or automated.

Let's take a closer look at each form:

1. Let's start with the most common form - the magazine form. Previously, it was used everywhere, since the document flow was not so large, the necessary information was stored in chronological order, and there were different journals for different forms of documents. Nowadays, office workers have much more work to do, and the features and advantages of the journal system have become its disadvantages: due to the chronological systematization, in order to find the right page, you have to leaf through the entire journal. This was aggravated by the fact that there were different journals for different categories of documents: for example, the same memo may be in one journal, and the resolution of the authorities in another. There is another drawback to registering documents in chronological order: only one person can keep the journal, which takes a lot of time (especially if there are a lot of documents). Also, the journal system does not allow for control over the timely execution of documents, slowing down information and reference work.
2. The disadvantages of the journal system are largely offset by the card registration form. Firstly, cards can be stored in any order, which ensures their quick search. Secondly, several people can be involved in the registration process at once, which minimizes the time spent on registration. The form of the card can be fixed in the corresponding local regulatory act - instructions for documentation support of management or, as it is more often called, instructions for office work.
3. But the most convenient, in our opinion, is an automated system. To conduct office work with its help, you must have certain software. All necessary information is contained in an electronic database, and access to a single database provides control over the execution of documents.

Important Features and Wording

Business conduct, especially among government officials, must be ethical. The memo “Bring to your attention” does not meet the required high ethical standards. It is easier to write about a violation of labor regulations, skip the phrase “I bring to your attention” in the report and immediately begin to present the facts and essence of the incident. For example: “Yesterday, September 13, 2019, a class session was disrupted due to...”.

If the institution has adopted electronic document management, the example of how to write a memo in electronic form does not differ significantly. When sending by email, request a notification that the email has been read by the recipient.

Do you always need to put your offer in writing?

The question often arises: is it possible to contact the management of the enterprise orally? The answer is very simple: you can always apply verbally, but whether this will give any results is unknown. A written message is always an official document, regardless of its content and addressee. But an oral message is just words to which there may be no response.

Therefore, we can recommend that all proposals, explanations and clarifications for management be drawn up exclusively on paper. Otherwise, you simply may not receive a response to your request or proposal.

Sending a document via electronic communication

There are often cases when an organization has electronic document flow, and all requests and notes must be sent via the Internet or internal network. In this case, there is no need to be afraid, there is nothing scary about it. However, for this it is advisable to have a personal digital signature so that you can confirm your request.

Or you can write a memo on a piece of paper, sign it and scan it. Send the electronic version to the required address and wait for a response.

Director's Director's Handbook

This document can be either internal or external. External memos are a way of communication between managers of different production facilities. Internal corporate memos are addressed directly to the person who is hierarchically related to the author of the memo.

An external report acquires legal force only if it is signed by the production manager. Internal memos are signed only by the author of the memo.

The purpose of any report is to inform the official about the situations that have occurred at the enterprise. In addition, the memorandum may contain a proposal to resolve the circumstance mentioned in it. For the most part, reports are informative and reporting. A report-complaint is filed in connection with any violation of labor discipline or openly provocative actions towards one of the staff or directly to the compiler.

Being a primary document, the memorandum must be registered in the office if it is sent directly to the head of the company. The result of the report should be a response from management regarding the facts presented. Therefore, a common practice in internal document flow is for the manager to impose a resolution on the report indicating specific further actions.

As a result, the following can be carried out:

• an official investigation;
• team meeting;
• trade union meeting.

Most often, based on the results of the report, an order for the enterprise is drawn up. Since there is no single form of report (there is only the concept of such a document in OKUD (All-Russian Classifier of Management Documentation), code 0286041, it is often written on official corporate letterhead. But it will not be a violation if a report written on a piece of paper is submitted to the manager.

The main thing is that structurally it includes:

• title;
• Title of the document;
• a subheading that would contain a brief announcement of the text below (in this section, templates are usually used: “About...”, “Regarding...”, “Regarding...”);
• personal data of the addressee and author of the document;
• main block listing significant facts;
• an additional block containing suggestions, advice and recommendations that help resolve the conflict;
• date of;
• author's signature.

Quite often the report has an additional block. It's called the Application. In this case, be sure to indicate the source where exactly the additional document came from.