Employment Policies. – not the most exciting part of the HR remit, but certainly one of the most essential and foundational pieces.
We are often asked to help with an ER issue, where the answer seems clear cut. For example, Sally in Marketing has been making expense claims without providing receipts. One of the first questions we ask is “What does your expenses policy say?”
Quite often there isn’t one.
Then it becomes complicated. Is Sally in the wrong if this hasn’t been outlined to her? Can you rely on the opinion that this would be common sense or that you had a verbal conversation about this with her when she started?
Suddenly not quite so clear cut!
Having the right policies in place isn’t just about being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, there to rely on when things go wrong. If they are well written and well communicated, policies set clear expectations, prevent problems before the occur, and help the workplace run smoothly.
To be truly effective think about these key things:
- Do your policies cover off the basics of Employment Legislation?
Whilst policies are internal bespoke documents to guide workplace behaviours, they also serve to outline at least the minimum requirements under relevant employment law. In this way they assist organisations to steer clear of falling foul of the law. This is obviously important.
- Do you have policies to cover what you need to?
Making sure that you have the right polices in place is important. This doesn’t mean that you have you have policies for absolutely everything, but it does mean that you need to have the essential ones in place.
- Are your policies fit for purpose, and do you have the systems and processes to support them?
It’s all very well having an Expense policy, but if it outlines that your team need to complete a monthly expense form, then you need to have an accessible form available. Otherwise, how do they adhere to your policy? Check that the forms and processes work in practice and have the supporting information required to make it easy for your staff to adhere to the policy.
- Communicate widely
You cannot expect your team to follow a policy when they don’t know what it is. Making sure a proper explanation of the relevant policies form part of your On-Boarding process is critical. Equally, continued education can be helpful for your team. Do you do reminders? Annual refreshers? Training when you make policy changes? These things keep the expectations top of mind and ensure the policies are put into practice.
- Consider drafting “Key Points” briefs
Policies can often become long, with the scope, definition and escalation points. Think about your workforce and the level of literacy you have. While you may understand them, do they? Writing in plain English or having a short version with the points critical to your team helps to make sure everyone understands what is expected of them.
- Ensure they are accessible
It’s quite common for us to hear “we have that policy somewhere”, and then it is produced from some deep dark corner of an intranet. If you can’t find it, how will your team? These aren’t confidential documents which must be hidden. They should be live reference points for the team so they can check when they have questions and get guidance on what’s expected when they need it.
Strong policies don’t just manage risk – they build a foundation for a positive, productive workplace culture. They turn your expectations into action, building clarity, fairness and trust.
Positive People have over 30 years helping organisations build strong foundations. Call us now on 0800 00 00 49 or email us at info@positivepeople.co.nz for support in introducing or updating polices.