Is it legal to record a conversation at work?

That depends on where you are and on the situation. Recording rules differ from state to state in the United States and from country to country elsewhere, and in many places they also turn on where the conversation happens and who is part of it. Before you record, consider letting the other person know and check the rules that apply where you are, including your employer's own policy. No app, Kirokune included, can tell you whether a recording is lawful or how it would be treated.

Do my notes count as evidence?

That is not for an app to decide; it is for whoever handles your situation to assess, whether that's HR, an investigator, a lawyer, or a court. What you do control is the quality of the record. Notes written the same day, with the date, time, place, what was said, and who else was there, are easier to explain and check against emails, calendars, and messages. Kirokune keeps them in time order and does not judge what they show.

What should I write down first?

Start with five things: the date, the time, where it happened, what was said or done (as close to the exact words as you can), and who else was there. Write it the same day if you can, in your own words; a few lines is enough. Everything else can be sorted out later. In Kirokune, that can be a voice recording, a photo, or a short note, kept in one place on your phone.

How do I document harassment at work?

Treat it like any other incident, one entry at a time: the date, the time, where it happened, what was said or done in the exact words you remember, who else was there, and what happened next — including anything you reported and any reply you got. Whether a series of incidents amounts to harassment is for HR, an investigator, a lawyer, or a court to assess under the rules where you are; an app cannot make that call, and Kirokune does not. Written the same day and kept in time order, your notes make that conversation easier to have.

Guide

Workplace incident log: template and example

If something at work doesn't feel right, the advice you'll hear again and again is the same: document everything. You don't have to have decided anything yet. Here's what documenting actually means in practice.

Go to the free incident log template

A free template you can use today

If you are trying to document workplace bullying or another concern, start with one event. Copy these prompts into your own notes, or download the blank text file. You can use it without Kirokune or an account. This is a personal worksheet, not an official complaint form.

Download the blank template (TXT)

When it happened: Date, time and time zone. Mark an approximate time as approximate.
When you wrote this note: Keep the writing date separate, especially when recalling an earlier event.
Place or channel: Where it happened, or the email or chat conversation involved.
People present: Names or initials you will recognize. Note who directly saw or heard it.
What you observed: Describe the actions and words. Separate an exact quote from your recollection.
Your response and what happened next: Include your own reply and the next action, if you remember them.
Impact and feelings: Record how it affected you, separately from what you observed.
Related material and unknowns: Where to find the original message or note. Mark gaps instead of filling them in.

A filled example: a meeting followed by an email

Fictional example for learning how to write a note. It is not a user story or a finding of bullying.

When it happened: September 4, 2026, around 10:00, UTC+1.
When you wrote this note: September 4, 2026, 12:20, UTC+1.
Place or channel: Project meeting in Room A; an email afterward.
People present: Team lead A and colleagues B and C. I do not know what B and C remember.
What you observed: While I explained the schedule, A interrupted twice. I recall A saying the plan was unusable; I cannot remember the exact words.
Your response and what happened next: I asked which dates needed changing. At 11:15 I sent an email asking for clarification.
Impact and feelings: I felt shaken and stopped explaining the remaining points. This describes my reaction.
Related material and unknowns: The follow-up email and calendar invitation. No recording. Whether A answered is not yet checked.

Turn separate notes into a timeline

Keep one entry per event and sort by the event date, not the date you wrote the note. Leave uncertain dates visible.
Keep the original note. Add a dated correction if you remember something later; do not silently replace your earlier account.
Before sharing, choose the entries needed for the conversation and check the surrounding messages. Keep originals and make any redactions on a separate copy.

A personal record cannot determine whether something is harassment or how it will be treated in a process. Check the requirements of the person or service you decide to consult. This template is for editing in your own notes; it is not a chat-import file.

Write down five things

For each incident, note the date, the time, where it happened, what was said or done — as close to the exact words as you can — and who else was there. You don't need polished sentences. A few lines written the same day carry more detail than a tidy summary written weeks later.

Keep it in one private place

Scattered notes are hard to use: some in a chat with yourself, some in screenshots, some only in your head. Keep everything in one place that belongs to you — on your own phone, not a work device or a work account.

If you're thinking about recording

Rules about recording conversations vary by place and by situation. Before you record, consider letting the other person know, and check the rules where you are. No app can tell you whether a recording is lawful or how it would be treated — including this one.

Chat messages count too

If part of what happened is in a chat, export the conversation and keep the messages that matter together with what came right before and after. Context makes them easier to explain later.

Save Apple Messages, Messenger, or Instagram chats

When you decide to talk to someone

A trusted person, HR, a lawyer, a support service — whoever it is, a record in time order lets you walk them through what happened without relying on memory. What your record means for any process is for them to assess, not for an app to declare.

Where Kirokune fits in

Kirokune keeps notes, recordings, photos, and chat records together in a private case on your iPhone, in time order; chat imports retain the selected file's whole original text. Download Kirokune free from the App Store; optional purchases add more ways to organize and review.

Common questions

Is it legal to record a conversation at work?: That depends on where you are and on the situation. Recording rules differ from state to state in the United States and from country to country elsewhere, and in many places they also turn on where the conversation happens and who is part of it. Before you record, consider letting the other person know and check the rules that apply where you are, including your employer's own policy. No app, Kirokune included, can tell you whether a recording is lawful or how it would be treated.
Do my notes count as evidence?: That is not for an app to decide; it is for whoever handles your situation to assess, whether that's HR, an investigator, a lawyer, or a court. What you do control is the quality of the record. Notes written the same day, with the date, time, place, what was said, and who else was there, are easier to explain and check against emails, calendars, and messages. Kirokune keeps them in time order and does not judge what they show.
What should I write down first?: Start with five things: the date, the time, where it happened, what was said or done (as close to the exact words as you can), and who else was there. Write it the same day if you can, in your own words; a few lines is enough. Everything else can be sorted out later. In Kirokune, that can be a voice recording, a photo, or a short note, kept in one place on your phone.
How do I document harassment at work?: Treat it like any other incident, one entry at a time: the date, the time, where it happened, what was said or done in the exact words you remember, who else was there, and what happened next — including anything you reported and any reply you got. Whether a series of incidents amounts to harassment is for HR, an investigator, a lawyer, or a court to assess under the rules where you are; an app cannot make that call, and Kirokune does not. Written the same day and kept in time order, your notes make that conversation easier to have.

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