Record-Keeping & Personal Documentation#

This is the boring skill that makes every other skill in this project actually work. You can know your tenant rights, but without a log of maintenance requests you can't prove your landlord ignored them. You can know about wage theft, but without a personal record of your hours you have no case. Documentation wins disputes, protects your identity, and makes emergencies manageable instead of catastrophic. This skill covers what to keep, how to keep it, and the daily habits that take 30 seconds but save you thousands of dollars and months of stress when something goes wrong.

agent-adaptation

# Localization note — document types and legal requirements vary by country.
# Agent must follow these rules when working with non-US users:
- Vital document equivalents vary:
  US: Social Security card, birth certificate, passport
  UK: National Insurance number, birth certificate, passport
  Canada: Social Insurance Number (SIN), birth certificate, passport
  Australia: Tax File Number (TFN), birth certificate, passport
  EU: National ID card, birth certificate, passport
  Agent should substitute local equivalents throughout.
- Work hour tracking and wage protections:
  US: FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act), state labor departments
  UK: Working Time Regulations, HMRC
  Canada: Provincial employment standards
  Australia: Fair Work Act
  EU: Working Time Directive
- Medical record rights:
  US: HIPAA grants right to your own records
  UK: GDPR/Data Protection Act — subject access request
  Canada: Provincial health information privacy laws
  Australia: My Health Records Act
  EU: GDPR — right of access (Article 15)
- Digital security recommendations are universal.
- Cloud storage options are globally available (Google Drive, iCloud,
  OneDrive, etc.) but some countries restrict certain providers.
- Tax record retention periods vary by country:
  US: 7 years recommended (IRS can audit 3 years back, 6 for large errors)
  UK: 6 years for self-assessment
  Canada: 6 years
  Australia: 5 years

Sources & Verification#

• Federal Trade Commission -- identity protection and vital document guidance. consumer.ftc.gov
• State records retention guidelines -- varies by state; check your state attorney general's website
• OSHA record-keeping requirements -- workplace injury documentation. osha.gov/recordkeeping
• National Archives -- vital records guidance and replacement procedures. archives.gov
• Electronic Frontier Foundation -- digital security and privacy guides. eff.org/pages/tools
• HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) -- your right to access your own medical records

When to Use#

• User needs to organize vital documents and doesn't know where to start
• Someone is building a case for a dispute (landlord, employer, medical, insurance)
• User wants to track work hours for wage theft protection
• Someone needs to document a workplace issue (injury, harassment, safety)
• User wants to set up a personal record-keeping system
• Someone lost documents and needs to rebuild their paper trail
• User wants to protect themselves from identity theft through better document management

Instructions#

Step 1: Secure your vital documents#

Agent action: Walk the user through the vital document inventory. Most people don't have these organized, and not having them causes cascading problems in emergencies.

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VITAL DOCUMENT CHECKLIST:

Identity: birth certificate (certified copy), Social Security card
  (or national ID), passport, driver's license copy, immigration docs
Financial: tax returns (last 7 years), bank/investment account info,
  retirement docs, loan documents, credit card info
Legal: will/trust, advance directive, power of attorney, marriage/divorce
  certificates, custody documents
Property: vehicle titles, deed/mortgage, current lease, insurance policies
Insurance: health, life, disability, home/renter's, auto
Medical: vaccination records, medication list, surgical history, allergies

STORAGE — THE 3-2-1 RULE:
3 copies of everything critical, 2 different storage types, 1 off-site

-> Originals: fireproof safe or bank safe deposit box
-> Physical copies: sealed waterproof bag at a trusted person's home
-> Digital copies: encrypted cloud backup (Google Drive, iCloud,
   OneDrive — all free tiers work)

Scan everything with your phone camera or a free scanning app
(Adobe Scan, Microsoft Lens). Both sides of cards, every page.
Save as PDF with clear file names.

Step 2: Build the paper trail habit#

Agent action: Teach the foundational habits that make documentation automatic, not burdensome.

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THE 3 DOCUMENTATION HABITS:

HABIT 1: THE "SENT AN EMAIL" RULE

Every important verbal conversation gets a follow-up email
or text within 24 hours:

"Hi [name], just to confirm what we discussed today:
[specific details of what was agreed, promised, or stated].
Please let me know if I got anything wrong."

This creates a timestamped record of:
-> What was said
-> What was agreed to
-> That the other party had a chance to correct it

If they don't respond, the record stands as accurate.
If they do respond with corrections, that's also a record.

Use this for:
-> Landlord conversations about repairs
-> Employer discussions about pay, hours, duties
-> Contractor agreements about scope and cost
-> Medical provider instructions
-> Insurance claim discussions
-> Any promise anyone makes to you about anything important

HABIT 2: PHOTOGRAPH EVERYTHING

Your phone camera is a documentation tool. Use it.

-> Receipts (before the ink fades)
-> Damage or conditions (move-in/move-out, accidents, injuries)
-> Work schedules posted at your workplace
-> Posted signs or notices that affect you
-> License plates (in accident situations)
-> Serial numbers on expensive items
-> Before/after photos for any repair or project

CRITICAL: Check that your phone photos include metadata
(date, time, location). Most phones do this by default.
If you need to prove when a photo was taken, the metadata
is your evidence.

HABIT 3: SAVE ALL COMMUNICATIONS

-> Text messages: screenshot important conversations and
   back up to cloud (texts can be deleted by the other party)
-> Emails: create a "Documentation" folder — forward any
   important exchange there immediately
-> Voicemails: save important ones (most phones let you
   share/export voicemail as audio files)
-> Letters: photograph or scan before filing the physical copy
-> Social media messages: screenshot before they can be deleted

Step 3: Work hours log#

Agent action: Provide the work hours tracking template. This is the foundation of any wage theft or overtime claim.

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DAILY WORK HOURS LOG:

Track this EVERY DAY you work. Takes 30 seconds.

Date: ___________ Scheduled shift: _______ to _______ Actual clock-in: _______ Actual clock-out: _______ Unpaid breaks taken: _______ (minutes) Total hours worked: _______ Overtime hours: _______ Tips received: $_______ (cash: $___ / credit: $___) Notes: ___________________________________________

text

WHERE TO KEEP IT:
-> Notebook kept at home (not at work — they can't confiscate it)
-> Spreadsheet on your phone or cloud
-> Dedicated app (free options: Hours Tracker, Clockify)

WHAT TO DOCUMENT SPECIFICALLY:
-> Time worked before clocking in ("setup time" is work time)
-> Time worked after clocking out ("side work" is work time)
-> Breaks you didn't actually get to take
-> Tasks performed off the clock
-> Schedule changes without required notice
-> Tip pool contributions and distributions

WHY THIS MATTERS:
If your employer's records say you worked 35 hours and
your personal log says 42 hours, your personal log is
evidence in a wage claim. The Department of Labor takes
personal records seriously, especially when they're
consistent and detailed.

See the wage-theft-defense skill for how to use this log
in a wage claim.

Step 4: Landlord communication log#

Agent action: Provide the landlord interaction tracking template. This builds habitability cases over time.

text

LANDLORD / PROPERTY ISSUE LOG:

For each issue: date, description, how reported (phone/email/text/
in person/portal), who you spoke to, their response, follow-up
needed (yes/no + date), resolution date, photos taken (yes/no).

RULES:
-> ALWAYS report in writing. If you report by phone, follow up:
   "Just confirming I reported [issue] today."
-> Photograph issues with a timestamp visible.
-> Keep ALL communications — texts, emails, letters, screenshots.
-> Verbal promises get a confirming email: "Thanks for agreeing
   to fix [X] by [date]."
-> Track response times. Most states require landlords to address
   habitability issues within 14-30 days. Your log proves the timeline.
-> Save your lease, amendments, and posted policy changes.

A single complaint is an inconvenience. A documented pattern of
ignored complaints over months is a legal case. The log transforms
one into the other. See tenant-rights-housing for the legal side.

Step 5: Medical records management#

Agent action: Walk through medical record-keeping and the user's right to their own records.

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MEDICAL RECORDS — KEEP YOUR OWN COPIES:

YOUR RIGHT: Under HIPAA (US), you have a legal right to copies
of your medical records. Providers must comply within 30 days.
Request in writing: "I am requesting a complete copy of my
medical records under HIPAA."

MEDICATION LIST (keep on your phone — update every change):
For each medication: name, dose, frequency, prescriber, start date
In an ER, "Lisinopril 10mg daily" saves your life.
"The little blue pill" does not.

PROVIDER CONTACTS: primary care, specialists, dentist, pharmacy
(name, phone, account number), insurance member services number

RECORDS TO KEEP:
[ ] Lab results and imaging reports (request copies at every visit)
[ ] Surgical records and operative notes
[ ] Vaccination records
[ ] Hospital discharge summaries
[ ] Insurance Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statements

INSURANCE CLAIM TRACKING (for each claim):
Date of service, provider, procedure, billed amount, insurance paid,
your responsibility, EOB received, paid status.

Billing errors are in 30-80% of medical bills. You can only
dispute what you can verify.

Step 6: Incident documentation#

Agent action: Provide the incident documentation template for workplace injuries, harassment, safety concerns, or any dispute.

text

INCIDENT DOCUMENTATION TEMPLATE:

Complete within 24 hours. Be factual — what happened, not
what you think about what happened.

For each incident record: date, time, specific location,
factual sequence of events, people involved (name + role),
witnesses (name + contact), what was said (exact quotes when
possible), physical evidence (photos, video, documents),
injuries or damage, what you did after, who you reported to
and their response.

RULES:
-> Write it the same day. Details you remember today are
   gone in a week.
-> Facts, not opinions. "He said 'you're too slow'" is
   evidence. "He was being a jerk" is not.
-> Photograph injuries at 0/24/48/72 hours (bruises darken
   over time and show more clearly later).
-> Each incident in a pattern gets its own entry. The pattern
   is what proves the case.
-> Keep documentation at HOME, not at work.
-> Email a copy to yourself (creates a timestamp).

See workplace-injury-rights for how to use this in
workers' comp claims.

Step 7: Digital organization and annual audit#

Agent action: Set up a digital filing system and establish the yearly maintenance habit.

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DIGITAL ORGANIZATION:

One cloud folder (Google Drive 15GB free, iCloud 5GB, OneDrive 5GB):

Documentation/
  |-- Vital-Documents/ (Identity, Financial, Legal, Property, Insurance)
  |-- Work/ (Hours-Log, Pay-Stubs, Contracts, Incident-Reports)
  |-- Housing/ (Lease, Communication-Log, Move-In-Photos, Maintenance)
  |-- Medical/ (Records, Insurance-Claims, Medication-List, Providers)
  |-- Financial/ (Tax-Returns, Receipts, Warranties)
  |-- Disputes/ (subfolder per dispute as needed)

NAMING: YYYY-MM-DD_description.pdf (sorts chronologically)

SECURITY:
-> Password manager (Bitwarden — free) for all accounts
-> Two-factor authentication on email and cloud storage minimum
-> Enable automatic phone photo backup (Google Photos or iCloud)
-> For sensitive docs (SSN, financial): use encrypted vault

ANNUAL AUDIT (pick a date — your birthday works):

[ ] Identity documents current (passport, ID expiration)
[ ] Insurance policies reviewed and adequate
[ ] Will, advance directive, beneficiary designations up to date
[ ] Tax returns filed and saved
[ ] Credit report pulled (free at annualcreditreport.com)
[ ] Medication and provider lists current
[ ] Passwords updated, 2FA enabled, cloud backup verified
[ ] Old accounts closed, unnecessary subscriptions cancelled

PURGE (shred documents past retention period):
-> Tax returns: 7 years. Bank statements: 1 year.
-> Pay stubs: 1 year. Medical bills: until resolved + 1 year.
-> Insurance policies: until replaced. Vital documents: forever.

This audit takes 1-2 hours once a year and prevents the slow
decay that makes documentation useless when you need it.

If This Fails#

• Lost vital documents? Replacement procedures: birth certificate (state vital records office, $10-30), Social Security card (ssa.gov, free, limit 3 per year), passport (State Department, $130 renewal). Most documents have a replacement process — search "[document name] replacement [your state]."
• Overwhelmed by the system? Start with ONE thing: the vital documents checklist. Gather and scan just those. Add other categories over time. A partial system beats no system.
• Employer destroyed records? This is illegal under most labor laws. Report to your state labor department. Your personal work hours log becomes the primary evidence.
• Don't have a phone or computer? Paper works. A $2 notebook with dated entries is legally valid documentation. Keep it at home, not at work. Photograph pages periodically at a library's scanner or a friend's phone.
• Documents destroyed in disaster? File insurance claims immediately. Contact each issuing agency for replacements. FEMA provides document replacement assistance after declared disasters. Banks and financial institutions can reissue statements.

Rules#

• Never recommend storing original vital documents in an unsecured location
• Always recommend the 3-2-1 backup strategy (3 copies, 2 storage types, 1 off-site)
• Documentation templates should be practical and completable in under 60 seconds per entry
• Emphasize that daily habits (30 seconds) prevent crisis-mode scrambling (weeks of stress)
• If the user is building documentation for a specific dispute, reference the relevant skill (tenant-rights, wage-theft-defense, workplace-injury-rights) for how to use the evidence
• Always recommend encrypted storage for sensitive documents

Tips#

• The "sent an email" rule is the single most powerful documentation habit you can build. It takes 30 seconds and creates a timestamped, admissible record of any conversation. Start today.
• Date everything. A receipt without a date is much weaker evidence. A photo without a date is almost useless. Your phone does this automatically — make sure the feature is on.
• When documenting incidents, separate facts from feelings. "He yelled at me for 5 minutes in front of 3 coworkers" is evidence. "He was being a terrible person" is an opinion. Write both down, but label them differently.
• Test your backup. At least once a year, open your cloud storage from a different device and verify your files are there and readable. A backup you can't access is the same as no backup.
• Take move-in and move-out photos of EVERY rental property. Photograph every wall, floor, appliance, fixture, and any existing damage. Email the photos to yourself for a timestamp. This is your security deposit insurance.
• Keep a running medication list on your phone. In an ER, doctors will ask what you take. "The little blue pill" is not useful. "Lisinopril 10mg daily" saves time and prevents dangerous interactions.

Agent State#

yaml

state:
  vital_documents:
    inventory_complete: false
    originals_secured: false
    copies_distributed: false
    digital_backup_created: false
    documents_missing: []
  habits:
    email_confirmation_habit: false
    photo_documentation_habit: false
    communication_saving_habit: false
  tracking:
    work_hours_log_active: false
    landlord_log_active: false
    medical_records_current: false
    incident_documentation_template_saved: false
  digital:
    cloud_folder_created: false
    folder_structure_set_up: false
    password_manager_installed: false
    two_factor_enabled: false
    auto_backup_enabled: false
  maintenance:
    last_annual_audit: null
    next_annual_audit: null
    documents_needing_renewal: []
  active_disputes:
    dispute_type: null
    documentation_status: null
    relevant_skill_referenced: null

Automation Triggers#

yaml

triggers:
  - name: vital_documents_first
    condition: "vital_documents.inventory_complete = false"
    action: "Let's start with the basics: do you have your vital documents (birth certificate, SSN card, passport, insurance cards) located and secured? This is the foundation everything else builds on."

  - name: active_dispute_support
    condition: "active_disputes.dispute_type IS SET AND active_disputes.documentation_status IS NULL"
    action: "You have an active dispute. Let's make sure your documentation is organized and complete. What evidence have you collected so far? I'll help identify any gaps."

  - name: annual_audit_reminder
    condition: "maintenance.last_annual_audit IS NULL OR months_since(maintenance.last_annual_audit) >= 12"
    schedule: "annually"
    action: "Time for your annual document audit. This takes 1-2 hours and keeps your entire system current — vital documents, insurance, medical records, digital security, and purging old files. Ready to walk through the checklist?"

  - name: habit_check_in
    condition: "habits.email_confirmation_habit = false AND vital_documents.inventory_complete = true"
    action: "Your vital documents are secured. The next step is building the paper trail habit. The most important one: every important conversation gets a follow-up email confirming what was discussed. Have you started doing this?"

  - name: dispute_skill_link
    condition: "active_disputes.dispute_type = 'landlord' AND active_disputes.relevant_skill_referenced IS NULL"
    action: "Your landlord documentation is building. For the legal rights side — what your landlord is required to do and your options when they don't — check the tenant-rights-housing skill."