19 KiB
19 KiB
Office Administration & Document Management Skill
Production-tested patterns for expense policy compliance, document organization, communication protocols, and administrative efficiency
This skill provides comprehensive best practices for managing office administrative tasks with professionalism, efficiency, and policy compliance.
Core Principles
1. Systematic Organization
- Consistent naming conventions
- Logical folder hierarchies
- Clear documentation
- Easy retrieval
- Scalable for growth
2. Policy Compliance
- Know and follow company policies
- Document exceptions properly
- Maintain audit trails
- Ensure data security
- Protect sensitive information
3. Professional Communication
- Clear and concise
- Timely responses
- Appropriate tone
- Proper documentation
- Follow-up consistently
Expense Management Policies
Standard Expense Categories
Travel Expenses:
- Flights: Economy class standard, business for > 5 hours (with approval)
- Lodging: Reasonable rates by city tier, receipts required
- Ground Transport: Taxis, rideshare, rental cars, mileage reimbursement
- Meals: Per diem or actuals (with receipts if > $25)
- Parking/Tolls: Actual costs, receipts for > $25
Business Expenses:
- Office Supplies: < $50 no approval, > $50 requires approval
- Technology: Requires approval regardless of amount
- Software: Requires IT and budget approval
- Books/Training: Requires manager approval
- Professional Dues: Annual, with approval
Client/Entertainment:
- Client Meals: Reasonable, document attendees and purpose
- Team Events: With manager approval
- Gifts: Follow gift policy limits
- Entertainment: Appropriate and documented
Expense Amount Limits (typical)
Meals - Per Diem Rates:
Breakfast: $15
Lunch: $20
Dinner: $40
Full Day: $75
High-cost cities (NYC, SF, DC, Boston):
Full Day: $100
Client meals: Up to $100/person (with approval)
Team meals: Up to $40/person (with approval)
Transportation:
Taxi/Rideshare: Reasonable, receipt if > $25
Parking: Actual cost, receipt required
Mileage: $0.67/mile (2024 IRS standard rate)
Rental Car: Economy/standard class
Daily rate: Up to $75/day
Insurance: Decline if covered by credit card
Lodging:
Standard metro: Up to $200/night
Major metro: Up to $300/night
High-cost cities: Up to $400/night
Extended stay: Negotiate monthly rate
Always require: Itemized receipt
Other:
Office supplies: < $50 auto-approved
Technology: Requires approval
Gifts: < $25 per person
Professional dues: Annual with approval
Receipt Requirements
Always Required For:
- All lodging (any amount)
- All airfare (any amount)
- Any single expense > $25
- All client/entertainment expenses
- All corporate card expenses
Receipt Must Show:
- Vendor name and location
- Date of purchase
- Itemized list (not just total)
- Payment method (last 4 digits)
- Tax breakdown
Acceptable Receipt Formats:
- Original receipt (preferred)
- Digital copy/photo (clear and legible)
- Credit card receipt with details
- Email confirmation (for online purchases)
Unacceptable:
- Credit card summary only (no itemization)
- Handwritten notes (unless affidavit for lost < $25)
- Illegible copies
- Partial information
Missing Receipt Protocol
Amount < $25:
- Written explanation acceptable
- Document: date, vendor, amount, business purpose
- Manager approval recommended
- Limit: 3 per expense report
Amount > $25:
- Request duplicate from vendor
- If unavailable: Lost Receipt Affidavit required
- Credit card statement as supporting doc
- Manager approval required
- Finance may request additional documentation
Lost Receipt Affidavit Template:
LOST RECEIPT AFFIDAVIT
I, [Name], certify that I incurred the following business expense
but am unable to provide a receipt.
Date: [MM/DD/YYYY]
Vendor: [Vendor name and location]
Amount: $[XX.XX]
Payment: [Method - last 4 digits if card]
Purpose: [Business purpose]
Reason: [Why receipt unavailable]
I certify this information is accurate to the best of my knowledge.
Signature: _________________ Date: _______
Manager Approval: ___________ Date: _______
Non-Reimbursable Expenses
Never Reimbursable:
- Personal expenses (toiletries, gym, entertainment)
- Traffic tickets, parking fines
- Lost items (luggage, phone, etc.)
- Expenses for family/friends
- Pet care
- Personal insurance
- Personal phone calls (beyond reasonable business)
- Movies, entertainment (non-business)
- Excessive or luxury items
- Alcohol (policy varies - often excluded)
Sometimes Reimbursable (with approval):
- Alcohol with client meal
- Business-class flights (> 5 hours)
- Hotel above standard rate (if necessary)
- Rental car upgrade (for business need)
- Expedited shipping
Expense Report Best Practices
Timing:
- Submit within 30 days of expense
- Late submissions may be denied
- Process monthly for ongoing expenses
- Don't wait to accumulate (hard to remember details)
Organization:
- Group by category
- Sort by date within category
- Number receipts and match to report
- Staple/attach in order
- Include cover sheet with totals
Documentation:
- Business purpose for all items
- Client names for entertainment
- Project/client codes if required
- Mileage log for driving
- Conference agenda for registration
Accuracy:
- Verify all math
- Check receipt amounts match report
- Ensure categories correct
- Include all taxes and fees
- Total should match receipts exactly
Document Organization Systems
Standard Folder Hierarchy
Corporate Structure (3-4 levels max):
company-name/
├── administration/
│ ├── policies/
│ ├── procedures/
│ ├── forms/
│ └── communications/
│
├── finance/
│ ├── expenses/
│ │ ├── 2025/
│ │ ├── 2024/
│ │ └── templates/
│ ├── invoices/
│ │ ├── pending/
│ │ ├── paid/
│ │ └── overdue/
│ ├── budgets/
│ └── reports/
│
├── hr/
│ ├── employees/ (restricted access)
│ ├── benefits/
│ ├── training/
│ └── policies/
│
├── legal/
│ ├── contracts/
│ │ ├── active/
│ │ ├── pending/
│ │ └── expired/
│ ├── agreements/
│ └── compliance/
│
├── operations/
│ ├── procedures/
│ ├── documentation/
│ └── tools/
│
├── projects/
│ ├── active/
│ │ ├── project-alpha/
│ │ └── project-beta/
│ ├── completed/
│ └── archived/
│
└── shared/
├── templates/
├── resources/
└── training/
File Naming Conventions
Standard Format:
[DATE]-[CATEGORY]-[DESCRIPTION]-[VERSION].[ext]
Components:
- DATE: YYYY-MM-DD (ISO 8601, sorts correctly)
- CATEGORY: project/client/department
- DESCRIPTION: 2-5 words, descriptive
- VERSION: v1.0, v2.1, draft, final
Examples:
2025-01-20-contract-acme-corp-v2.0-final.pdf
2025-01-15-expense-report-john-smith-january.xlsx
2025-01-10-meeting-notes-product-team.md
invoice-2025-001-acme-corp.pdf
Naming Rules:
- ✅ Use hyphens or underscores (not spaces)
- ✅ Use lowercase or consistent capitalization
- ✅ Include date for time-sensitive documents
- ✅ Be descriptive but concise
- ✅ Include version for iterative documents
- ❌ No special characters:
/ \ : * ? " < > | - ❌ No spaces in filenames
- ❌ Avoid generic names: doc1.pdf, file.xlsx, new-file.docx
- ❌ Don't use "final" multiple times (final2, finalfinal, etc.)
Version Control:
document-name-draft.pdf (initial draft)
document-name-v1.0-review.pdf (ready for review)
document-name-v1.1-review.pdf (revised after feedback)
document-name-v1.0-final.pdf (approved version)
document-name-v2.0-final.pdf (major revision)
Date Formats (always use YYYY-MM-DD):
✅ Correct: 2025-01-20 (ISO 8601, sorts naturally)
❌ Wrong: 01-20-2025 (ambiguous, doesn't sort)
❌ Wrong: Jan 20 2025 (doesn't sort)
❌ Wrong: 1/20/25 (ambiguous)
Document Lifecycle Management
Active Phase:
- Location: Main working folders
- Access: Team members
- Backup: Daily
- Review: Ongoing
Reference Phase:
- Location: Reference subfolder or archive
- Access: As needed
- Backup: Weekly
- Review: Annually
Archive Phase:
- Location: Archive/[YEAR]/
- Access: Limited, read-only
- Backup: Monthly
- Review: Retention policy
Disposal Phase:
- Policy: After retention period expires
- Method: Secure deletion
- Documentation: Disposal log
- Compliance: Legal/regulatory requirements
Retention Policies (typical)
Financial Records:
Tax returns: 7 years
Expense reports: 7 years
Invoices: 7 years
Bank statements: 7 years
Receipts: 7 years
Payroll records: 7 years
Legal/HR:
Contracts: 7 years after expiration
Employee files: 7 years after separation
I-9 forms: 3 years after hire or 1 year after separation
Benefits: 6 years
Business Records:
Meeting minutes: Permanent (or 7 years)
Policies: Current + 3 years superseded
Correspondence: 3-7 years
Project files: 7 years after completion
Digital Files:
Email: Follow company policy (often 2-3 years)
Documents: Per category above
Backups: Incremental (30 days), Full (1 year)
Communication Protocols
Email Etiquette
Subject Lines:
✅ Good: "Q1 Budget Review - Action Required by Jan 25"
✅ Good: "Meeting Scheduled: Project Kickoff - Jan 20 @ 2 PM"
✅ Good: "FYI: Updated Travel Policy Effective Feb 1"
❌ Bad: "Question"
❌ Bad: "Meeting"
❌ Bad: "FYI"
Structure:
Subject: [Clear, specific subject with action/deadline if applicable]
[Greeting]
[Purpose - why you're writing, in 1-2 sentences]
[Details - relevant information, organized clearly]
- Use bullet points for multiple items
- Keep paragraphs short
- Put action items at the top or in bold
[Clear call to action or next steps]
[Professional closing]
[Signature]
Response Time Expectations:
- Urgent: Within 2 hours
- Important: Within same business day
- Standard: Within 24 hours
- FYI: No response required (unless questions)
- Out of office: Set auto-reply
To/CC/BCC Guidelines:
- To: Action required from these recipients
- CC: FYI only, no action needed
- BCC: Rarely appropriate (when keeping someone informed discreetly)
- Don't: CC entire company unless truly necessary
Phone Etiquette
Answering:
"Good morning/afternoon, [Company Name], this is [Your Name].
How may I help you?"
Or for internal:
"This is [Your Name]."
Taking Messages:
- Caller's name (spell check)
- Company/affiliation
- Phone number (repeat back)
- Reason for call
- Best time to return call
- Date and time of call
- Your name
Voicemail:
"You've reached [Your Name] at [Company Name].
I'm unavailable to take your call right now.
Please leave your name, number, and a brief message,
and I'll return your call as soon as possible.
Thank you."
Professional Phone Behavior:
- Answer within 3 rings
- Smile (it comes through in your voice)
- Speak clearly and at moderate pace
- Use professional language
- Don't eat, chew gum, or drink while talking
- Minimize background noise
- Take good notes
Meeting Communication
Before Meeting:
- Send invite 2+ days in advance
- Include clear agenda
- Attach preparation materials
- List required vs. optional attendees
- Specify virtual meeting details
During Meeting:
- Start on time
- Follow agenda
- Document decisions and action items
- Manage time
- End on time
After Meeting:
- Send notes within 24 hours
- Include decisions made
- List action items with owners and deadlines
- Attach any relevant materials
- Schedule follow-up if needed
Meeting Notes Template:
# [Meeting Title]
**Date**: [YYYY-MM-DD]
**Time**: [HH:MM AM/PM TZ]
**Attendees**: [Names]
**Absent**: [Names]
## Agenda
1. [Topic 1]
2. [Topic 2]
3. [Topic 3]
## Discussion Summary
### [Topic 1]
[Key points discussed]
### [Topic 2]
[Key points discussed]
## Decisions Made
- [Decision 1]
- [Decision 2]
## Action Items
- [ ] [Task 1] - Owner: [Name] - Due: [Date]
- [ ] [Task 2] - Owner: [Name] - Due: [Date]
## Next Meeting
[Date/Time or "TBD"]
Calendar Management Best Practices
Personal Calendar Hygiene
Blocking Time:
✅ Do:
- Block focus time daily (2-4 hours)
- Block lunch (12-1 PM)
- Block prep time before meetings
- Block admin time weekly
- Block personal appointments
❌ Don't:
- Leave calendar completely open
- Accept all meeting invites without reviewing
- Double-book yourself
- Ignore personal time
Color Coding:
- Red: High priority/critical
- Blue: Meetings/calls
- Green: Focus time/deep work
- Yellow: Tentative/flexible
- Purple: Personal
- Gray: Out of office/vacation
Calendar Settings:
- Set working hours (e.g., 9 AM - 5 PM)
- Set default meeting duration (25 or 50 min for buffer)
- Enable speedy meetings (automatic buffer)
- Set appropriate time zone
- Share availability appropriately
Managing Others' Calendars
Executive Assistant Responsibilities:
- Maintain accurate calendar
- Schedule and confirm appointments
- Manage conflicts and reschedule
- Prepare meeting materials
- Track action items
- Coordinate with other assistants
Prioritization:
- Critical: C-level meetings, board meetings, critical clients
- High: Important clients, key projects, team meetings
- Medium: Standard meetings, 1-on-1s
- Low: Optional attendance, FYI meetings
Conflict Resolution:
When double-booked:
1. Assess priority of both meetings
2. Check if delegate can attend lower priority
3. See if either can be rescheduled
4. Consult executive on preference
5. Reschedule lower priority
6. Inform all parties promptly
Office Supplies Management
Standard Inventory
Daily Use:
- Pens, pencils, markers
- Notepads, sticky notes
- Stapler, staples, paper clips
- Tape (clear, double-sided)
- Scissors
- Folders, binders
- Copy paper
Periodic Use:
- Envelopes (various sizes)
- Labels
- Batteries
- Rubber bands
- Push pins
- Binder clips
- White-out
Ordering Process:
- Check current inventory weekly
- Maintain 2-week supply
- Use approved vendors
- Track spending monthly
- Store organized by category
- FIFO (first in, first out)
Office Equipment Maintenance
Regular Maintenance:
- Printers: Check toner weekly, clean monthly
- Copiers: Service contract, report issues promptly
- Phones: Test quarterly, clean weekly
- Computers: Updates scheduled, clean keyboard/screen weekly
- Kitchen: Clean daily, restock supplies, check equipment
Vendor Management:
- Maintain vendor contact list
- Track service contracts
- Schedule preventive maintenance
- Document service calls
- Review vendor performance annually
Data Security & Privacy
Document Classification
Public:
- Marketing materials
- Published information
- General company info
- Can be shared freely
Internal:
- Most business documents
- Internal communications
- Meeting notes (non-sensitive)
- Share only with employees
Confidential:
- Financial data
- Employee information
- Strategic plans
- Share on need-to-know basis
- Use secure methods
Highly Confidential:
- Legal documents
- Sensitive employee data
- Proprietary information
- Executive-level strategic info
- Encrypted storage/transmission
Access Control
Physical Documents:
- Lock file cabinets for confidential docs
- Use sign-out sheets for critical files
- Shred sensitive documents when disposing
- Clear desk policy for end of day
- Visitor access restrictions
Digital Documents:
- Password protection for sensitive files
- Encryption for highly confidential
- Access permissions by role
- Audit logs for critical systems
- Regular access reviews
Privacy Best Practices
Personal Information:
- Collect only what's necessary
- Store securely
- Share only with authorization
- Dispose of properly
- Follow privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, etc.)
Confidential Conversations:
- Use private spaces for sensitive discussions
- Close doors for confidential meetings
- Don't discuss in public areas
- Be aware of who can overhear
- Use secure communication channels
Professional Development
Skills for Office Administrators
Core Competencies:
- Organization and time management
- Communication (written and verbal)
- Technology proficiency
- Attention to detail
- Problem-solving
- Discretion and confidentiality
Technical Skills:
- Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
- Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar)
- Video conferencing (Zoom, Teams, Meet)
- Project management tools
- Expense management systems
- Calendar management tools
Soft Skills:
- Professionalism
- Adaptability
- Customer service
- Teamwork
- Initiative
- Stress management
Continuous Improvement
Stay Current:
- Attend training sessions
- Learn new software features
- Join professional associations
- Read industry publications
- Network with peers
Process Improvement:
- Document repetitive tasks
- Identify automation opportunities
- Propose efficiency improvements
- Share best practices
- Measure and track improvements
Checklist: Administrative Excellence
Daily:
- Check email and respond within 24 hours
- Review calendar for next day
- Process expense receipts
- File documents properly
- Tidy workspace
Weekly:
- Review upcoming week's calendar
- Restock office supplies
- Back up important files
- Follow up on pending items
- Clean out email inbox
Monthly:
- Submit expense reports
- Review and archive old documents
- Check calendar for next month
- Order supplies as needed
- Review processes for improvements
Quarterly:
- Archive completed projects
- Review recurring meetings (still needed?)
- Update contact lists
- Review retention policy compliance
- Assess vendor relationships
Annually:
- Review all policies and procedures
- Archive prior year documents
- Update emergency contact information
- Review professional development goals
- Organize major cleanup/purge
Key Takeaways
- Organization is foundational: Consistent systems save time and reduce errors
- Policy compliance matters: Know the rules and follow them
- Communication clarity: Clear, timely, professional communication builds trust
- Document properly: Good documentation protects the organization
- Security conscious: Protect sensitive information at all times
- Continuous improvement: Always look for ways to work smarter
- Professional demeanor: Represent the organization well in all interactions
- Attention to detail: Small mistakes can have big consequences
Remember: Great office administration is invisible - everything just works. Poor administration is obvious - things fall through the cracks. Strive for invisible excellence.