TLIL807C Complete Routine Administrative Tasks Learner Guide

TLIL807C Complete
routine
administrative tasks
Learner Guide
Contents
What this Learner’s Guide is about......................................................1
Planning your learning................................................................................2
How you will be assessed.........................................................................5
Section 1.............................................................................................................................7
Handling mail...................................................................................................7
Section 2..........................................................................................................................25
Communicating and storing information..........................................25
Additional resources................................................................................................35
Feedback on activities............................................................................................37
TLIL807C Complete routine administrative tasks
What this Learner’s Guide is about
This Learner’s Guide is about the skills and knowledge required to

complete routine administrative activities in a transport,
warehousing, distribution and/or storage workplace, including
receiving and distributing incoming mail, receiving and despatching
outgoing mail, filing documents, and receiving and relaying written
and oral messages.
The Elements of Competency from the unit TLIL807C Complete routine

administrative tasks covered in this Learner’s Guide are listed below.
Receive and distribute incoming mail
Receive and despatch outgoing mail
File documents
Receive and relay written and oral messages
This unit of competency is from the Transport and Logistics

Training Package (TLI07).
© Australian National Training Authority 2003 Page 1

Customised and developed by Armstrong’s Driver Education Pty Ltd October 2008 ADELG1049
Planning your learning
It is important to plan your learning before you start because you may
already have some of the knowledge and skills that are covered in
this Learner’s Guide. This might be because:
• you have been working in the industry for some time,
and/or
• you have already completed training in this area.
Together with your supervisor or trainer use the checklists on the

following pages to help you plan your study program. Your answers to
the questions in the checklist will help you work out which sections of
this Learner’s Guide you need to complete.
This Learner’s Guide is written with the idea that learning is made
more relevant when you, the learner, are actually working in the
industry. This means that you will have people within the enterprise
who can show you things, discuss how things are done and answer any
questions you have. Also you can practise what you learn and see how
what you learn is applied in the enterprise.
If you are working through this Learner’s Guide and have not yet
found a job in the industry, you will need to talk to your trainer about
doing work experience or working and learning in some sort of
simulated workplace.
Page 2 © Australian National Training Authority 2003

ADELG1049 Customised and developed by Armstrong’s Driver Education Pty Ltd October 2008
Section 1: Receive and distribute incoming mail
Are you able to: Yes No

1. check and register incoming mail to
ensure accuracy of records?
2. promptly identify and distribute urgent and
confidential mail to the addressee?
3. sort and dispatch mail to nominated
person/location?
4. record damaged, suspicious or missing
items and report these where necessary in
accordance with workplace procedures?
Section 2: Receive and despatch outgoing mail

1. collect outgoing mail from required
sections of the organisation, check and
sort this mail to ensure all items are
correctly prepared for despatch?
2. collate, record in the register (where
applicable) and correctly despatch mail to
meet designated timelines?
Section 3: File documents

1. classify, sort and file documents in
accordance with workplace procedures?
2. refer classification uncertainties to other
personnel in accordance with workplace
procedures?
3. identify and retrieve documents?
4. locate specified files/records within
designated timelines?
5. extract located files from system and
despatch to the nominated person?

6. follow security and confidentiality

procedures?
Section 4: Receive and relay written and oral

messages
Are you able to: Yes No 1. receive and accurately record messages?
2. clarify areas of uncertainty with conveyor

of the message?
3. relay messages to the nominated person
within designated timelines?

How you will be assessed
Assessment of this Unit of Competency will include observation of real

or simulated work processes using workplace procedures and
questioning on underpinning knowledge and skills. It must be
demonstrated in an actual or simulated work situation under
supervision.
You will be required to:

• process incoming and outgoing mail according to company
procedures
• use the filing system to file and retrieve documents
• take and pass on messages accurately to others in the
workplace.


Section 1
Handling mail

Section outline
Areas covered in this section

Handling mail including:
− incoming mail
− outgoing mail
− following workplace procedures for mail
− completing required records of mail movements

How do you handle mail within your workplace?
What is the system for handling incoming mail?
The arrival of email was predicted to be the end of mail in the form of
letters. This has not proved to be the case for a number of reasons:
• documents requiring a signature, and usually connected to
business transactions, cannot be emailed
• small parcels still require posting
• specialised services have been developed for priority
postage (e.g. Express Post where there is guaranteed next
day delivery to capital cities)
• some people prefer hand writing material
• despite a high level of computer ownership across
Australia, many computer users do not have email access
• the highly developed infrastructure for mail already in
existence (e.g. the number of post boxes around suburbs
and towns)
• company and government regulations that require
financial documents (invoices, receipts, etc) to be in paper
based form rather than electronic.
Some experts predict that email will become less popular as the
amount of junk email grows (also known as ‘Spam’).
Mail continues to be a popular way of communicating information.

This unit will look at both electronic mail and paper based mail.
Consider a one-‐person business. In that business, all mail will be for

that person unless it has been delivered to the wrong address or
delivered to an address incorrectly written on the envelope. As the
business grows, so will the volume of mail. The volume of incoming
and outgoing mail generated by a business of 100 people is large
and necessitates specialised systems to manage efficiently.
Paper based mail will be considered first. The starting point for mail is
a post box at the post office, some sort of mailbox or hand delivery to
the reception counter. Where a post office box is used, someone has
to collect the mail and bring it back to the workplace.

The next job will be to sort the mail. Some businesses will have a sign
on the letterbox or an arrangement with the post office that means
that ‘unaddressed or unsolicited mail’ is not wanted. This is a way of
trying to limit the volume of unwanted mail arriving at the workplace
that has not been requested by the company.
Company policy may include a statement that personal mail is not to

be sent to the workplace. While this policy is in place, the sender may
not know that this policy is in place. As the sorter, you will have to
know what to do in this instance. Options might include:
• passing the letter on to the addressee on the envelope
• forwarding the mail to a manager who then speaks to the
person receiving the personal mail
• returning to sender.
Again, company policy will outline what you are expected to do

with personal mail.
In larger offices, the mail may be opened at a central point, sorted and
registered. Part of the sorting process may involve deciding whom the
appropriate person is to pass the letter on to. Registration will include
details of:
• addressee (person to whom the letter is addressed)
• sender
• date of receipt
• subject matter.
For example, imagine a letter arrives at a transport company

advertising cheap insurance for public liability and worker’s
compensation. Insurance matters would probably be handled by a
Human Resources manager or the manager if there is no dedicated
person for this function. The entry in the register might be as follows:
MAIL REGISTER FOR ACE INDUSTRIES

Date Addressee Recipient Sender Subject matter
30/03/03 Manager Rose Porter General & Insurance rates for
(HR Life Public Liability and
Manager) Insurance P/L Worker’s Comp.
The purpose of the register is to keep a record of what is received,

when it was received, to whom is was addressed and who the letter
was passed on to, and what the letter related to. The record could be

used in the future to check whether a particular piece

of correspondence was received.
For instance, imagine a company advertised a position with a closing

date of close of business 14/5/03. After the position is filled, an
applicant claims that the process was unfair as this person was not
interviewed and felt that they had the experience and qualifications
called for in the position description for the job. Further questioning
reveals that the applicant sent their application by letter. The register
shows that the application was received on 16/5/03, two days late. The
applicant can be shown the register as proof that their application
could not be considered as it was after the due date.
Once mail is registered, it needs to be distributed within the organisation.

For larger organisations, the system often used is to have ‘pigeon holes’
or boxes with each staff members name and space to put in external mail
and internal communications. The responsibility is then in the hands of
each staff member to check for mail.
In smaller organisations, mail may be then delivered to each person. A

potential problem can be where the person is not at their desk or
workstation when the distributor (yourself) comes around with the
mail. Alternatively, if all staff members come past the reception desk
or front counter, the mail might be held there and passed to each
person as they pass the front counter.
The actual system used will depend on:

• size of the organisation
• layout of the buildings
• volume of mail received
• policies and procedures in place.
The tools you will need to sort mail will include:

• policies and procedures for handling incoming mail
• list of personnel and functions
• register for mail (if applicable).
Mail may be marked “ATTENTION’ or “URGENT’. If you receive mail

marked like this, you obviously need to bring this to the attention
of the recipient. You might do this by:
• placing in pigeon hole of that person and sending an email
or making a phone call to inform them and personally
deliver to the person.

A good strategy is to have some record that you passed on the item
as soon as possible so that if the recipient is slow to respond, the
problem is not seen as your lack of attention to detail.
Incoming mail systems are investigated in the first activity.

Activity 1: Incoming mail systems
Discuss with your trainer the system used for incoming mail.
Summarise what you are required to do including what you have
to do in relation to:
• personal mail
• unsolicited mail
• recording mail received including what details are required to
be recorded
• ‘junk’ mail
• urgent items of mail
• mail received that is incorrectly addressed to your company
• mail received for persons no longer with the company
• mail addressed to the company rather than anyone in particular
or mail addressed to a function (e.g. ‘Marketing Manager’) that
does not exist within your company.
Use the answers to the following questions to help you describe the
system for handling mail:
Provide details in your response of the tools you use to assist you
with mail sorting and distribution;
• what tools do you have to assist you with mail sorting and
distribution?
• where do you put mail once it is sorted and registered?
• how does each person get his or her mail once it is sorted and
registered?
• does your company have a post office box (if so, who goes an
gets the mail?), letterbox or have mail delivered to a front
counter?
There is feedback on this activity at the back of this Learner’s

Guide.

In 2002, following the World Trade Centre bombing in USA,

companies were forced to consider the possibility of mail being used
by terrorists to spread diseases such as anthrax which is potentially
fatal to humans. Mail sorters and those handling incoming mail were
warned to be on the lookout for suspicious parcels and letters that
appear to contain a white, dry powdery substance.
Other indicators include:

• was the parcel or letter expected?
• does the company know the sender?
Some organisations, such as government offices, issue mail sorters

with disposable latex gloves to protect employees from potential
harm in such situations.
On receipt of any suspicious parcel or letter, the following actions are

recommended:
• do not panic
• do not smell, touch or open the item
• move away from the item and alert others to stay away
from the item
• notify the authorities (police and management)
• turn off circulating fans, air conditioning, etc to prevent
possible spread through the air
• do not attempt to wash off or disperse the substance
• wait for authorities to arrive.
The danger from anthrax spore is through inhalation, ingestion or

entry of spore through cuts or eyes.
The Australian Comcare web site at http://www.comcare.gov.au

provides useful information in relation to this topic.
Similar procedures should be followed for parcels suspected of being

dangerous such as letter bombs. While the possibility of situations
such as these arising is not very high, organisations should be
prepared and have relevant policies and procedures and provide
adequate training for dealing with these events.
You may also be required to report damaged parcels and letters,

particularly where an insurance claim will be made for damaged goods.
Generally, the carrier (Auspost or transport company) will be required to
replace, credit or otherwise reimburse your company in this event.

Your own workplace’s system for such parcels is looked at in the

next activity.

Activity 2: Reporting suspicious and damaged items
Talk to your supervisor, your trainer and other relevant staff in your
organisation to determine what policies and procedures exist for
dealing with suspicious parcels and letters and for reporting
damaged parcels and letters. Summarise your findings in the
space below.
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Guide.

What is the system for handling emailed and

faxed correspondence?
With the introduction of email and fax, many messages are now sent
via these means. Because email is sent almost instantly, the sender of
the email may expect an immediate response. The same speed of
response is not always expected with faxes as your company may
have only one fax machine and that could be away from your desk or
work area.
Email can be stored in files and retrieved at any point. The list of
received emails also contains the date and time of receipt of email, the
sender and a given subject line (which may or may not reflect or
describe the contents of the email). In this way, a register is created
similar to the mail register described for letters and parcels. As with
the register, this can be used to show that a particular piece of
correspondence was received or not or when the email was received.
With faxes, a printout can be made of faxes received and sent. The
level of detail provided by this printout is:
• time and date
• fax number of recipient of fax.
Note that the sender is not identified nor is the contents. Some
organisations will have a fax register for users to indicate their name
and the contents of the fax. Fax has the advantage of transmitting
exactly what has been sent. So, a document can be written on, a
drawing added, text from another source added without retyping
(just stuck on with tape, etc). With faxes, what you send is what your
addressee receives. At the same time, anyone coming past the fax is
able to see what has been sent.
Similarly to mail, your company may have developed an email policy.

This could cover similar aspects to a mail policy. A comparison of what
can be contained in mail and email policies is useful:

Policy area Relevant in Relevant in Comments

mail policy email policy
Personal  
mail/use
Damaged  Not
mail applicable
Suspicious   In case of email, applies
items to emails that may
contain viruses
Urgent   Email is sent direct to
items recipient with no
sorting process
Register   For mail, if established;
with email is automatic
Unsolicited   Email filters can be used
items to delete ‘spam’ or junk
email as it arrives
General  Addresses Company may have
items for are for general email address
company recipients for inquiries. Can be
not only forwarded instantly to
individual relevant person
Confidential   All emails are
mail confidential in the
sense of going straight
to addressee but access
can be gained via
administrator
In the next activity, email and mail policies in your workplace

are investigated.

Activity 3: Email and fax use policy
Talk to your trainer and other relevant staff in your organisation to

determine what policies and procedures are in place within your
workplace for use of email. Compare the policy and procedures to
the mail policy in place. Summarise your findings in the space
below.
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Does your company have any policies on use of the fax machine?

Guide.

What is the system for handling outgoing mail?
As the person responsible for incoming mail, you will probably also
have responsibilities for handling outgoing mail. This could include:
• letters
• parcels (smaller items that are not handled internally and
are sent via bicycle or motor-‐bike courier or other
external courier).
The system for handling letters or mail, will involve:

• collecting the mail
• working out the postage required
• affixing stamps (or franking or sorting for post office
stamping)
• taking mail to post office.
Mail might be placed in a box or given directly to you, depending on

the size of the company that you work in and company procedures.
Postal rates are available on the Auspost web site at

http://www.auspost.com.au/. Postal rates depend on weight and size
of envelope. A set of scales is useful for weighing parcels and a ‘letter
gauge’ is available from Auspost to help determine postal rates based
on envelope size.
When you are asked to arrange express delivery of a letter or parcel,

Auspost has available a service for next day delivery of mail and small
parcels (such as CD ROMs, tapes, samples) to capital cities. This is
called Express Post. Details are available through the Auspost web site
or from a local Post Office.
Your collection of resources and tools should include the rates and
contact numbers for couriers suited to the types of parcels you
need to send out. The Yellow Pages is a useful resource for locating
couriers. Your company may have a preferred courier based on
positive experience.
Some companies have a ‘franking machine’ that imprints the postage

that you have calculated and is read by Auspost and charged to your
company’s account. These machines are less common than they used
to be. In smaller offices, postage stamps will be purchased in bulk (a
roll of 100) and fixed to letters and parcels. A third alternative is that
the letters are sorted into bundles according to expected postage,
taken to the Post Office and stamps purchased as required.

Your company may also require that you record all outgoing mail
so that, if a customer makes a claim that an item was not received,
the problem can be tracked back to check that it actually left your
company. The details recorded will probably include:
• sender
• date
• addressee (person to whom letter or parcel is sent)
• description of item
• reference number
• delivery mode (courier, Express Post, ordinary mail, etc).
The postage of dangerous and hazardous goods, including sending

such items overseas, is governed by a separate set of regulations.
Parcels sent overseas require a Customs declaration that lists the
goods contained in the parcel and the value of those goods. This
requires a signature on a sticker that is then affixed to the parcel.
Certain goods cannot be sent by air such as explosives, aerosol cans
or those with gas as a propellant, combustible or highly flammable
material. Further details of substances that are not allowed to be sent
by air, are available from a Post Office.
The Dangerous Goods Act also governs the sending of certain goods
within Australia. Goods that fall within this category must be clearly
labelled with the appropriate signage detailing the type of goods
being sent including goods that are:
• corrosive
• flammable
• oxidizing agents (are not flammable but readily support
combustion or burning of other materials)
• poisonous
• radioactive.
Check with others in the workplace if you are unsure of the

regulations for sending such materials. You may get assistance from:
• your trainer
• OHS officers within the company
• Post Office
• Customs
• WorkSafe or other government agency for OHS.

Activity 4: Handling outgoing mail
Talk to your trainer about the system you are expected to follow
for outgoing mail. Summarise this system below and make sure
that you answer the questions listed.
• are personal items allowed to be included in the outgoing mail
(already stamped)?
• how is the mail collected and passed on to you?
• do you have to record all outgoing mail? If so, what details are
recorded?
• what tools and resources do you have to help you determine
postage for individual items (scales, ‘letter gauge’, price lists,
contact details and rates for couriers)?
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Guide.

Activity 5: Special classes of mail
Talk to your trainer about any goods that are subject to the
Customs Act or Dangerous Goods Act. Find out if these sort of
goods are likely to be sent out from your company. Answer the
questions listed below as part of your research.
• what goods are handled by your company that are classified
as dangerous or hazardous goods?
• does your company send any goods overseas?
• what procedures do you have to follow when sending out
dangerous or hazardous goods or sending parcels overseas?
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Guide.


Section 2
Communicating and storing

information

Section outline
Areas covered in this section

Communicating and storing information including:
− filing business information
− retrieving business information from files
− receiving and relaying oral messages

How do you communicate and store business

information?
What is the system in your workplace for filing

business information?
The files in your workplace will contain a variety of business
information that is useful to your company’s business. This might
include:
• business history such as contracts
• financial information
• product information including that of rivals
• useful resources
• correspondence
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), other procedures,
training and induction material
• pricing and fee schedules
• relevant legislation, regulations and procedures.
This list is a sample of what your workplace stores. Some of this

information will be located in other areas or with specialist personnel
such as financial information that is stored in the accounts section of
your workplace. In smaller offices, your role may also involve finances
and your files will include this type of business information.
A good filing system allows for:

• easy retrieval of required information
• minimising ‘useless’, irrelevant and out of date information
• security of confidential documents such as personnel
records
• systematic storage so that related information is stored
together.
You have probably ‘inherited’ a filing system or someone else in the

workplace has designed the system or has overall management of the
system. In this case, your responsibility will be to use the system to file
and extract business information.

As most offices are equipped with computers, the filing system will link
with information storage in electronic format as files. Some companies
store both an electronic copy of business documents and information
and a paper-‐based or hard copy. Where this is not company policy or
practice, the paper-‐based system will store documents received in
paper-‐based format and documents that have been produced within
your workplace but have additions to them such as a signature in the
case of a contract or agreement.
In order to understand the system that is in use, you will need to

find out what types of information are stored and under what broad
categories.
If every piece of information were kept forever, the filing system

would soon become too large. Two processes are used to manage a
filing system:
• archiving
• sorting and destroying.
The second process – sorting and destroying, may be undertaken in

conjunction with archiving. Some information becomes out of date or
no longer relevant and can be removed from the system. Other
information may become useful or may be required to be kept fro a
period of time, according to a regulation or legislation. This
information is archived – put into boxes and stored, either on the
premises (in a storeroom, etc.) or with a specialist company that
stores archived material.
Your company will have procedures in place for storage of ‘useful but
not immediately wanted information’ or information that is required
to be stored for a period of time such as financial and tax records.
Some information will be confidential such as:
• personnel details
• personal details (home addresses and phone numbers,
etc.)
• tax records
• financial information
• company business history
• contracts.
Confidential information may be protected via locked filing cabinets,

locked storage rooms or similar security measures. For electronic
records, a password is used to prevent access to those not permitted
to view this information.

Within each ‘chunk’ of filed information, an ordered or systematic

process needs to be followed so that information can be readily
retrieved. For instance, contracts may be filed by date or by the
name of the company or individual with whom the contract is made;
correspondence may be filed according to the subject of the
correspondence, the sender of the correspondence or again by date.
Where a number of team members are filing information into a

common filing system or in larger workplaces, the system may include
a file register. As a new file is created or as entries are made into a file,
the person filing the information will be required to list the
information filed. The register might include:
• date
• person entering information into file or creating a new file
• details of information being filed
• physical location of file
• expected lifetime for use of this file (especially of required
to be kept for a period of time according to legislation or
regulations).
The file register allows others to locate a file that may be misfiled or be
capable of being filed in a number of places. For example, a letter from
a contractor seeking a contract variation may be filed in a
correspondence file, under the contract or under contract variations.
The design of your workplace’s information filing system is the focus

of the next activity.

Activity 6: The system behind the filing system
Discuss with your trainer and others in your work area, how the
filing system is designed. Summarise your findings in the space
below. Answer the questions listed to help you find out about the
system used in your workplace.
• what are the main types of information stored?
• how do the filing system and the computer system connect for
information storage?
• how is confidential information protected in the filing system?
• when does the system get cleaned out or material archived?
who is responsible for this?
• to whom do you refer problems with filing when you are
unsure of the correct filing location?
• does your company have a file register? if so, how does this
assist in locating information? if not, why is this not part of the
filing system?
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Guide.

“Can you please take a message”?
Part of your role will include taking messages for others. Messages
might also include:
• customers and visitors arriving at your work station or
desk
• phone callers
• fellow team members and those from other areas of the
business.
While taking messages for others may be a nuisance, particularly if you

are busy or there seems to be an endless stream of callers, message
taking is an important part of communication with customers and
across your organisation. A message lost could mean a loss of an
important piece of business or losing an important client.
Message pads are available commercially through stationery suppliers.

The features of these might include:
• caller
• intended receiver of message
• date and time (some have a clock face for indicating time
of call)
• caller’s telephone number or contact details
• content of message
• if message is urgent
• your initials or signature as the message taker
• tear off messages with carbon copy for your records (not
included in all commercially available memo pads)
• ‘quick messages’ such as at below right:
MESSAGE DATE: / /
TIME: ………… AM/PM
TO: …………………………………… TEL: …………………
FROM: ……………………………….. URGENT
DETAILS: …………………………….
………………………………………… Telephoned
………………………………………… Will ring back
………………………………………… Please ring
………………………………………… Called in
SIGNED:

These types of message pads include the main features of the

message so that the receiver of the message can get back to the
person without having to search for a phone number, or worse ignore
the message as there is no way of getting back to the person.
With emails, messages can be typed directly into an email and sent
immediately to the person for whom the message is required. Email
can also remove the need for message taking as the sender can email
their message directly to the intended receiver of the message
without going through a receptionist or third person.
When taking oral messages, it is good practice to repeat back

essential details to make sure you have taken the message correctly.
You may have to summarise the message, so checking the message
can prevent miscommunication.
A small Case Study follows for you to complete.

Activity 7: Message taking
You pick up the phone and the following conversation occurs:
CALLER: “I’d like to speak to Robin Cloak”.
YOURSELF: “I’m sorry but Mr Cloak is not in at present, he left

for the warehouse about 5 minutes ago.”
CALLER: “Are you sure?”
YOURSELF: “Yes. I checked my watch as he left at 11.45 am,

because I’m expecting a visitor for Ms Trott at 12.00 noon and
she is also out at present.”
CALLER: “OK, this is Brad Miner from Pittsville Press ringing about
the order he placed. Can you leave him a message that the
calendars are printed. Oh, so are his business cards and the
letterhead and the wall posters. I’ll deliver them tomorrow but I
need his OK on the colours as I couldn’t match the purple exactly
but it’s so close you can’t tell. I’ll have Sam drop a sample in so it’s
there for him to look at in an hour or so. Anyway, I went ahead and
I reckon he’ll be happy with these. He said he wanted them pretty
quickly, so I’ve done them quick smart.”
YOURSELF: “Can I have your number please and can you tell me
what time you will be there until as I’m not expecting Mr Cloak to
return until about 3.00 pm this afternoon?”
CALLER: “It’s 9333 7654 and I’ll be here until about 6.30 pm. No,
better make that 5.45 at the latest as I have to make a delivery on
the way home. OK, thanks, cheers.”
Summarise the required information as a message for Robin Cloak.
Use the message pad below for your answer.
MESSAGE DATE: / /
TIME: ………… AM/PM
TO: …………………………………… TEL: …………………
FROM: ……………………………….. URGENT
DETAILS: …………………………….
………………………………………… Telephoned
………………………………………… Will ring back
………………………………………… Please ring
………………………………………… Called in
SIGNED:

What did the message taker fail to do? (perhaps they didn’t get
the chance but good practice …)

Guide.

Additional
resources

Web sites:
• Postal rates are available on the Auspost web site at
http://www.auspost.com.au/
• The Australian Comcare web site at
http://www.comcare.gov.au provides useful information in
relation to suspected mail items containing anthrax spores.
• The CASA web site at http://www.casa.gov.au/dg/freight/index.htm
provides information on transport of goods by air.
Organisations:
• WorkSafe Victoria
http://www.workcover.vic.gov.au/
Other resources:
• Your own workplace may have a variety of resources to support
your learning. These might include templates used in the
workplace, forms, procedures and manuals, mail registers, etc.

Feedback
on activities
The responses provided in this section are suggested responses.
Because every workplace is different, your responses may vary
according to your specific workplace procedures, the equipment
available and the nature of the business.

Activity 1: Incoming mail systems
Discuss your responses with your trainer and supervisor. Your

response should give a good picture of how mail is received,
sorted and distributed to staff including an outline of relevant
policies and procedures.
Activity 2: Reporting suspicious and damaged items
Policies and procedures will vary across organisations. The

important point is to have policies and procedures in place in the
unlikely event that such a situation (receipt of a suspicious item)
arises. Damaged items may require an insurance claim to be
made. You or another team member may make the claim. Be clear
on your responsibilities in this situation. Discuss your responses
with your trainer and supervisor. The advice provided in this
section of the Learning guide is useful information for organisations
to develop a procedure, if this does not already exist.
Activity 3: Email and fax use policy
Your company’s email and mail policy will probably cover similar
areas. If you do not have an email policy in your company, talk to
your trainer and other relevant staff to determine what unwritten
expectations and regulations exist (e.g. no personal use, etc.)
Discuss your answers with your trainer.
Similarly, a policy on faxes may be in place in your organisation
or there may be ‘unwritten’ rules.
Generally, private use of company facilities is not allowed or
discouraged but some companies may allow limited or
emergency use of fax and email by individual team members.
Activity 4: Handling outgoing mail
The system you are expected to follow for outgoing mail should
allow for the most efficient way to gather the mail in a convenient
location, record this mail (if required by your workplace) and get the
mail to the post office. Mail will include parcels and delivery of
these items may involve couriers. Cost, reliability and efficiency will
be indicators that your system suits your workplace.

Activity 5: Special classes of mail
You company may not have goods sent out that fall within the
categories outlined. Where your company does send out such
goods, the relevant regulations include the Dangerous Goods Act
and Customs Act. Failure to comply with these regulations is an
offence. Check your answers with your trainer and supervisor.
Seek help from others in the workplace if relevant procedures
have not yet been developed or are not written down.
Activity 6: The system behind the filing system
Discuss your answers with your supervisor, trainer and others in

your work area, especially the person who designed or manages
the system. System will vary according to legislation having an
impact on work operations, confidentiality requirements, the size of
the organization and policies and procedures.
The system should be systematic, make for easy retrieval,
ensure currency of information and help not hinder your work and
that of your fellow team members.
Activity 7: Message taking
Message taker should have checked contents of message, as

it was long and a bit complicated. Sample response is below.
MESSAGE DATE: today’s date

TO: Robin Cloak TIME: 11.50 AM
FROM: Brad Miner from Pittsville TEL: 9333 7654
Press DETAILS: Has completed order URGENT
but purple not exact match (very close).
Check with sample on your desk and
phone him with OK tonight up to 5.45
 Telephoned
pm. Will deliver tomorrow if you OK.
Will call back
SIGNED: (Your name)  Please ring
Called in


TLIL807C Complete Routine Administrative Tasks Learner Guide

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TLIL807C Complete Routine Administrative Tasks Learner Guide

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TLIL807C Complete

What this Learner’s Guide is about

This Learner’s Guide is about the skills and knowledge required to

The Elements of Competency from the unit TLIL807C Complete routine

Receive and distribute incoming mail

Receive and despatch outgoing mail

Receive and relay written and oral messages

This unit of competency is from the Transport and Logistics

© Australian National Training Authority 2003 Page 1

Planning your learning

Together with your supervisor or trainer use the checklists on the

Page 2 © Australian National Training Authority 2003

Section 1: Receive and distribute incoming mail

Are you able to: Yes No

Section 2: Receive and despatch outgoing mail

Are you able to: Yes No

Section 3: File documents

Are you able to: Yes No

© Australian National Training Authority 2003 Page 3

6. follow security and confidentiality

Section 4: Receive and relay written and oral

2. clarify areas of uncertainty with conveyor

Page 4 © Australian National Training Authority 2003

How you will be assessed

Assessment of this Unit of Competency will include observation of real

You will be required to:

© Australian National Training Authority 2003 Page 5

Page 6 © Australian National Training Authority 2003

© Australian National Training Authority 2003 Page 7

Areas covered in this section

Page 8 © Australian National Training Authority 2003

How do you handle mail within your workplace?

What is the system for handling incoming mail?

Mail continues to be a popular way of communicating information.

Consider a one-‐person business. In that business, all mail will be for

© Australian National Training Authority 2003 Page 9

Company policy may include a statement that personal mail is not to

Again, company policy will outline what you are expected to do

For example, imagine a letter arrives at a transport company

MAIL REGISTER FOR ACE INDUSTRIES

The purpose of the register is to keep a record of what is received,

Page 10 © Australian National Training Authority 2003

used in the future to check whether a particular piece

For instance, imagine a company advertised a position with a closing

Once mail is registered, it needs to be distributed within the organisation.

In smaller organisations, mail may be then delivered to each person. A

The actual system used will depend on:

The tools you will need to sort mail will include:

Mail may be marked “ATTENTION’ or “URGENT’. If you receive mail

© Australian National Training Authority 2003 Page 11

Incoming mail systems are investigated in the first activity.

Page 12 © Australian National Training Authority 2003

Activity 1: Incoming mail systems

There is feedback on this activity at the back of this Learner’s

© Australian National Training Authority 2003 Page 13

In 2002, following the World Trade Centre bombing in USA,

Other indicators include:

Some organisations, such as government offices, issue mail sorters

On receipt of any suspicious parcel or letter, the following actions are

The danger from anthrax spore is through inhalation, ingestion or

The Australian Comcare web site at http://www.comcare.gov.au

Similar procedures should be followed for parcels suspected of being

You may also be required to report damaged parcels and letters,

Page 14 © Australian National Training Authority 2003

Your own workplace’s system for such parcels is looked at in the

© Australian National Training Authority 2003 Page 15