Policies and Procedures
Your HR Policies, Procedures and Standards can provide clarity to employee and help to set boundaries and expectations. They can reinforce your working practices and your culture.
There are also legal requirements to provide certain policy documents to employees.
In this section
Whenever there is an employment issue or dispute, one of the first questions will be ‘what does the policy say’. Your policies and procedures will therefore either support what you are trying to do or restrict you. Written procedures also make it easier to manage any situation as you can follow the procedure.
It is recommended that your policies and procedures are 'non-contractual'. This means that they can be changed and amended by the Company should the need arise, without having to consult with employees (unlike the contract of employment). However, it is still essential to communicate any changes.
Policies and procedures should be appropriate for the organisation. They should NOT be overly bureaucratic or lengthy or so rigid as to be inflexible (and it is not advisable to copy policies form the last corporate company you worked for as these are likely to be inappropriate and very restrictive). There are legal requirements to have certain written policies in place. Other policies will provide the organisation with further protection and flexibility.
Having clear policies (including rules and standards and codes of conduct) will help communicate to employees what is expected and therefore, provided they are well communicated, you are more likely to get the standards of conduct and performance you want for your organisation!
Your policies can be communicated to employee’s in the format of an employee handbook, or you can provide access to documents on-line. One of the most effective solutions is YourHR.space (where content is then managed and updated for you).
