If you are a business owner looking to improve your company’s success, it’s crucial to evaluate your workplace policies and ensure they align with your goals. Continue reading this Legal Kitz blog to learn effective strategies for enhancing your workplace policies.
What are workplace policies?
Workplace policies are guidelines established by an employer to govern the behaviour and conduct of employees within the workplace. These policies outline employers’ and employees’ expectations, responsibilities, and rights and cover various areas, such as discrimination, harassment, health and safety, employment conditions, social media usage, and more. Workplace policies help employers and employees have clarity over the expectations required of them to ensure a safe, respectful and productive work environment. Policies can be referred to by people working in a workplace to resolve conflicts and legal issues as they may arise. Continue reading this Legal Kitz blog to learn more about workplace policies.
What is the structure of a workplace policy?
Writing workplace policies is a complex process that requires many factors to be considered; employers will benefit from asking for professional legal assistance when drafting their policy framework. Although professional legal assistance/advice is recommended, it is not mandatory. With this in mind, a workplace policy checklist will be suggested below.
Determine the policy’s purpose
When thinking about this question, ask yourself what workplace issue or behaviour you are addressing and the policy’s goals. Well-drafted policies will clearly outline behaviour that needs addressing under a subheading titled ‘purpose’. For example, a workplace policy addressing ‘healthy workplace relations’ might include a sentence stating: This policy aims to ensure the organisation and its employees maintain a healthy working relationship.
Research and review
Conduct research and review existing policies related to the issue you want to address. This can be done via a Google search; type out the name of a policy you wish to have replicated within your company and analyse the headings and text they have used in their version. To ensure you replicate an excellent policy, ensure the company you are researching is reputable and in the same jurisdiction as yours. Furthermore, you will want to research your jurisdiction’s legal requirements and the industry standards in your business area.
Develop the policy
Use your research to develop the policy’s content, including the scope, responsibilities, procedures, and consequences for non-compliance. We recommend you either do extensive research on the specific policy requirements you wish to draft or seek legal advice in this respect.
Consult stakeholders
Seek input and feedback from relevant stakeholders, such as employees, managers, and legal experts. There is no use in developing a workplace policy that either will not be followed by employers/employees or will be detrimental to the company’s operation; it is, therefore, important to discuss the policy provisions with those affected by it.
Get approval
Once the policy is developed, get it approved by the appropriate people, such as the CEO, board of directors, or HR department.
Communicate and train
Communicate the policy to all employees and provide training on the policy’s requirements and expectations. This is highly important as employees must know what rules apply to them for a policy to be effective.
Monitor and update
Regularly monitor compliance with the policy and update it as needed to reflect changes in the organization or external factors.
Remember that all employees should clearly, concisely, and quickly understand a workplace policy. It should also be consistent with the organization’s values and culture. Finally, ensuring the policy is enforced consistently and somewhat is essential.
What are effective policies you should include for your company?
There are many policies that can be effective in a company, but the specific policies that are most effective will depend on your company’s size, industry, and culture. Here are some examples of policies that many companies find to be effective:
Anti-discrimination and harassment policies
These policies set the tone for a respectful and inclusive workplace culture and establish clear guidelines for how employees should treat one another.
Code of conduct
This policy outlines the company’s expectations for employee behaviour and can help prevent unethical or inappropriate conduct.
Performance evaluation and feedback policies
These policies establish a straightforward process for evaluating employee performance and providing feedback, which can improve employee morale, productivity, and retention.
Flexible work policies
These policies can include remote work options, flexible schedules, and other accommodations that allow employees to balance work and personal responsibilities.
Benefits Policies
These policies can include healthcare, retirement, and other benefits that help attract and retain employees.
Cybersecurity policies
These policies help protect the company’s data and systems from cyber threats.
Employee development and training policies
These policies can include employee training and development opportunities, which can improve employee skills and job satisfaction.
Ultimately, the most effective policies are well-communicated, consistently enforced, and aligned with the company’s values and goals.
What are the benefits of having workplace policies?
Having workplace policies provides several benefits for both employers and employees, including:
- Clear expectations: Workplace policies help to establish clear expectations for employees, outlining what is expected of them in terms of behaviour, performance, and conduct. This clarity helps avoid misunderstandings and conflicts arising from employees not knowing what is expected of them.
- Compliance: Policies can help employers comply with legal requirements, such as health and safety, discrimination, and harassment. Employers who fail to comply with these requirements can face legal and financial consequences.
- Consistency: Policies provide a framework for consistent decision-making across the organization. This helps to ensure that employees are treated fairly and consistently, regardless of their position or personal circumstances.
- Protection: Workplace policies can protect both employers and employees. For example, data security and confidentiality policies help protect sensitive information from being accessed by unauthorized personnel. Similarly, policies related to harassment and discrimination support protecting employees from these types of behaviours.
- Productivity: By establishing clear expectations and a consistent framework for decision-making, workplace policies can help to create a more productive work environment. This can lead to increased job satisfaction, higher morale, and improved employee retention.
Workplace policies are essential for creating a positive work environment conducive to productivity, collaboration, and success.
Legal advice
Employers and employees can seek legal advice for further assistance or guidance on drafting new policies or complying with current ones.
If you need further assistance or advice regarding company policies or matters alike, you may contact Legal Kitz to assist you. To arrange a FREE 30-minute consultation with one of our highly experienced solicitors, contact us at [email protected] or 1300 988 954. Additionally, you can also check out our sister company – Business Kitz’s Subscriptions, to access our full range of legal, commercial and employment document templates to begin your business with a solid foundation that ensures compliance.