Love or hate them, company policies are essential for an organisation to plainly state its position on the various scenarios in the workplace. Covering redundancy, parental leave, company car use, D& I, and everything in between, policies provide a framework of general guidelines for the employer and employees.
But are your policies living, breathing documents, or do they sit in a file somewhere, ready to refer to only when something goes wrong? This month’s peer group discussion shared their opinions about company policy and guidelines.
What do policy, police and politics have in common?
The word ‘policy’ does sound a tad serious because it shares the same origins as ‘police’ and ‘politics’. It comes from the Middle English term policie, meaning “government” or “civil administration.” And the Middle English term is derived from the Latin polītīa, meaning “polity,” a politically united group of any kind.
How to get the most out of your company policies
A policy’s existence doesn’t mean that employees fully understand or adhere to them; you need to be proactive in their implementation!
One idea is to keep them separate from the employee handbook and ask new starters to sign to say they’ve read and understood what the policy means. The wording and meanings will be looked at in closer detail and not lost in the pages of the handbook.
Another suggestion is to revisit and discuss a policy during team meetings. This little and often approach will keep your documents easily updated without costing hours of precious time all at once.
Be flexible with them – no one likes a jobsworth who sticks rigidly to rules without considering other factors.. Your employees are individuals so be flexible where you can.
Here are 3 ways you can get the best out of your policies
There are three main areas where effective policies can support the organisation and staff:
1. Legal – Policies written in the spirit of the law should minimise the risk of being taken to tribunal. However, current legislation does overrule any policy. Make a point to routinely update and review your policies and procedures, and ensure they are understood by everyone. It’s especially important to keep the documents updated so the Senior Leadership Team and line managers are working within the law and dated legislation.
2. Benefits – When it comes to employee benefits, policies are a great way to lay out what employees can expect and any conditions for using the benefits. For example, not to speed or drive recklessly in a company car.
3. Code of conduct – You’d hope that most people know what appropriate behaviour is, but some need pointers on what’s acceptable and how to behave. A code of conduct will help create a more harmonious workplace where people are treated with respect.
Codes of conduct for hybrid working environments can be valuable as employees and organisations navigate their way through this new way of remote working. Clear expectations for acceptable dress for online meetings and appropriate backgrounds will avoid awkward situations.
Policies should also be explicit about what course of action of will be taken if an employee’s behaviour is substandard, such as if you do ‘X’, there will be a disciplinary.
If you’d like to join Wote Street People’s peer group bimonthly (every two months), give Maxine a call on 01256 236997 or email maxine@wotestreetpeople.co.uk
All peer group sessions are confidential and free to attend. It’s a safe space to ask those questions that you may feel awkward asking a colleague. January’s topic is ‘Remote redundancy – is it even a thing?”’
