On paper or in a spreadsheet, make one column per facility and one row per decision point. Useful rows include public-record service description, current availability, fit-review process, documentation contact, form-review timing, information-release process, insurance status, expected personal costs, and next-step date. Mark every unanswered cell as unknown rather than leaving it blank. A blank can later be mistaken for a favorable answer.
Add a separate employer column, but do not score it as though it were a facility. Record leave categories offered under the applicable workplace policy, eligibility determination, required forms, notice deadlines, call-out procedures, benefit-premium instructions, return-to-work requirements, and the office that receives health documentation. If a third-party leave administrator is involved, record its instructions separately from what a manager says. Conflicting answers should become a follow-up task, not a guess.
- Use identical decision rows for every facility you contact.
- Label verbal answers with the speaker, date, and whether written confirmation is available.
- Keep employer policy answers separate from clinical and facility answers.