The Harm of Unwritten Processes

There is a quiet danger inside many institutions — one that rarely appears in policies, flowcharts, or public statements.

It is the reliance on unwritten processes.

Phone calls instead of emails.

“Verbal explanations” instead of written reasons.

Assurances given off the record.

Decisions implied, but never documented.

For injured workers and vulnerable people, unwritten processes are not neutral.

They are harmful.

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What Is an Unwritten Process?

An unwritten process is any decision, explanation, or action that:

• is communicated verbally rather than in writing

• cannot be reviewed, verified, or challenged

• leaves no paper trail

• shifts accountability away from the decision-maker

It often sounds reasonable at first:

“We’ll just explain this over the phone.”

“There’s no need to put that in writing.”

“It’s easier if I talk you through it.”

But when power is unequal — as it is between institutions and individuals — unwritten processes protect the system, not the person.

If it's not written down, it's harder to challenge - and easier to deny.

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Why Institutions Prefer Them

Unwritten processes offer flexibility to institutions.

They allow:

• inconsistency without evidence

• delay without consequence

• denial without trace

• decisions to be reframed later

They reduce risk for organisations by increasing risk for individuals.

What cannot be written down cannot easily be scrutinised.

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Why They Are Especially Harmful to Injured Workers

Injured workers are already navigating:

• illness or trauma

• financial stress

• complex systems

• power imbalances

When processes are unwritten, injured workers are forced to:

• rely on memory during periods of distress

• recount conversations they did not control

• prove what was said without evidence

• defend themselves against shifting narratives

This is not just unfair — it is destabilising.

Stress increases. Symptoms worsen. Trust erodes.

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Unwritten Processes Enable Silence

One of the most damaging effects of unwritten processes is strategic silence.

When questions are answered verbally:

• there is no obligation to respond again

• there is no record of what was avoided

• follow-up becomes harder

• accountability dissolves

Silence can then be reframed as:

• misunderstanding

• miscommunication

• differing recollections

This leaves the injured person isolated, doubting themselves, and increasingly powerless.

That is GASLIGHTING. 

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“We Called You” Is Not Accountability

A phone call is not transparency.

A phone call:

• cannot be reviewed

• cannot be forwarded

• cannot be relied upon later

• cannot protect you

When institutions choose calls over written responses, they retain control over the narrative.

You are left holding fragments. They hold the authority.

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The Psychological Harm Is Real

Unwritten processes cause secondary harm — harm created by the system itself.

They lead to:

• heightened anxiety

• loss of confidence

• hypervigilance

• exhaustion

• a sense of being gaslit

People begin asking:

• “Did I misunderstand?”

• “Did they really say that?”

• “Why can’t I get a straight answer?”

When your health depends on clarity, ambiguity is dangerous.

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Written Processes Are a Safety Measure

Written processes are not bureaucracy for its own sake.

They are a safeguard.

They:

• slow decisions down

• force clarity

• create accountability

• protect both parties

• allow review and correction

For injured workers, written communication is often the only stable ground in an unstable time.

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When You Force It Into Writing — What Changes

There is a reason unwritten processes are preferred.

Because the moment you insist on written answers, everything changes.

In my case, after months of phone calls, partial explanations, and responses being relayed verbally through an IRO Dispute Resolution Officer, I made a deliberate decision:

I would no longer accept answers that were not documented.

The process involved the IRO Dispute Resolution Officer calling me to relay the insurer’s responses, rather than those responses being provided directly in writing.

That meant:

• no verifiable record

• no ability to review what was said

• no way to challenge inconsistencies

So I escalated — specifically to require written responses.

https://mystory-myvoice.blogspot.com/2026/04/i-demanded-answers-in-writing-iro.html?m=1

And once everything was forced into writing, something shifted.

What had been vague became explicit.

What had been avoidable became recorded.

What could be denied became evidence.

When required to respond in writing, conduct did not suddenly become compliant — it became defensive. Positions were taken that are now permanently on record.

That is the risk of written processes for institutions.

And the protection of written processes for individuals.

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Other Examples of Unwritten Processes

This pattern did not occur in isolation.

The Unminuted “Dispute Resolution” Meeting

On 9 March 2020, a formal “dispute resolution” meeting took place involving senior HR leadership, an Associate Director of HR, and legal representation.

No minutes were taken.

In a process of that nature, the absence of minutes removes the record, the accountability, and the ability to verify what occurred.

https://mystory-myvoice.blogspot.com/2025/02/introducing-corporate-psychopath.html?m=0

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Verbal Direction and HR Filtering

In early January 2020, a key workplace conversation shifted in real time — with responses shaped through HR involvement.

None of it was documented.

No written confirmation.

No record of advice.

No accountability.

(I’m not re-sharing the links again. It’s too re-traumatising. The posts are emotionally charged, because going through the relevant documents to write the posts had me relive the harm on record. But my story has become so serious regarding systemic failure and maladministration, it must be shared, not only as part of my healing process, but for accountability and to stop such systemic failure from harming other workers and families. 

Readers can view these incidents on my blog under Associate director unfit to do the inherent requirements of the job, Parts 1 & 2, written in February 2025). 

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Why This Matters

When processes are not written down:

• responsibility becomes unclear

• facts become contestable

• narratives can shift

• the burden shifts to the injured person

But when things are written:

• inconsistencies are exposed

• patterns become visible

• accountability has somewhere to attach

This is about protection.

⸻

Final Word: Where Silence Ends and Evidence Begins

Unwritten processes are not administrative shortcuts — they are where accountability disappears.

If it isn’t written down, it can be denied. If it can be denied, it can be repeated.

That is how harm continues.

So ask for it in writing - because the moment it is written down, it stops being a story — and becomes evidence.

⸻

A Broader Pattern — Still Unfolding

What began as a workplace issue did not end within the workplace.

When I escalated for help — including to my local electorate office in Kogarah — I encountered the same pattern: verbal assurances, no written follow-up, and outcomes that did not reflect what had been said.

https://mystory-myvoice.blogspot.com/2026/03/chris-minns-and-kogarah-electorate.html?m=0

When viewed alongside what is documented, this raises serious questions about accountability and the systemic handling of injured workers across New South Wales.

The full account is still to come.

But the principle is clear:

Where matters affecting rights, safety, and public administration are handled without proper record, the risk of jurisdictional error becomes embedded in the process itself.