HR Policies

Do you groan when you receive another new or updated policy & procedure from your HR department? You may question the value of having written policies or think that it’s just another piece of legislation imposed upon you as an employer. At least you just have to read them…….spare a thought for the person who has to write these riveting documents!

The attention given to this is probably at the bottom of a lengthy to do list however having no policy or a poorly drafted one may present problems.

Although most of the time you only need to refer to a policy when there is a problem to sort out, a sense of the company’s stance is needed so having clear guidance is critical.

Policies and procedures are helpful for many reasons, for example:

• They guide both managers and employees as to what is expected and can prevent misunderstandings

• Supervisors and managers are more likely to consistently apply policies that are clearly communicated in writing

• Carefully written policies should protect against legal claims

• Policies can be used to illustrate your commitment to a positive work environment and non-discriminatory employment practices

By way of light reading, here’s an example of what happened after a poorly thought through HR policy was issued. A chain of emails were sent over a number of weeks about Dress Down Fridays:

Week 1 – email 1

The company is adopting Fridays as dress down day. Employees are free to dress in the casual attire of their choice.

Week 3 – email 2

Spandex and leather miniskirts are not appropriate attire for dress down day. Neither are string vests or fancy dress.

Week 6 – email 3

A seminar on how to dress for Fridays will be held on Friday in the restaurant. A fashion show will follow. Attendance is compulsory.

Week 9 – email 4

A team have been appointed as Dress Down Task Force and produced a manual with guidelines for proper casual dress. A copy has been distributed to every employee.

Tip for today: Don’t introduce a new HR policy or procedure or revise an existing one without thinking through all the potential issues. Understand the potential upsides and downsides of the new/revised policy. Brainstorm how the policy will work in your organisation with a group of your managers.

You could always ask your HR Consultancy to do it for you! I’m off now to write another policy……….

Dress down article links:
http://www.nationalofficeweek.com/office-news-express/03/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12418046