Meeting minutes are a common tool for recording decisions and action items in the workplace. In some cases, meeting minutes can become significant legal documents. For example, meeting minutes can be used to show the company established safety guidelines for employees to follow (or didn’t).

Meeting Minutes Format in This Course

1. Be sure your minutes include the following details:
   • the date and time of the meeting
   • the location of the meeting
   • a list of those present
   • (optional) a list of those absent (skip if everyone is present)
     • If the group knows someone will be missing, common practice is to indicate the person was absent, with notice.
   • the activities that took place, focusing on decisions made and actions to be completed
   • the name of the minutes taker at the end
2. Decide as a group what format you will follow, considering the following options:
   • Use the format in the information on Meeting Minutes.
   • Choose a template in Word.
   • Use the meeting notes tool in Google Docs, which integrates with Google Calendar.
   • Choose the From a template option when you create a New Document in Google Docs, and scroll down to find Meeting Notes templates.

Meeting Minutes Format in the Workplace

Your workplace may have a standard format that everyone follows. The format may be available as a template in your word processor, or employees may simply uses recent minutes from other meetings as a model.

The details that are required in your workplace will vary. Companies and organizations establish expectations based on their needs. For instance, if all meetings take place in company meeting rooms, the location of the meeting may not be recorded.

Similarly, in the event of very large meetings, the minutes may not record a list of all those present and absent. For an all-staff meeting, for example, the minutes likely will not include a list of attendees. On the other hand, a formal meeting, such as a meeting of the board of directors, usually requires a list of attendees. Meetings requiring a quorum before decisions can be made will also require a list of attendees.

Your workplace may record and archive meetings. The related video or audio recordings will supplement meeting minutes; however, the basic details of the meeting are still recorded in minutes. After all, no one wants to watch a video of an hour long meeting just to find out if the vote was yea or nay!