The HR Policy Puzzle: How do you create and maintain relevant and lasting HR policies?

HR policies are in place to help organisations manage how they hire people. These policies can be used to ensure that the company adheres to certain legal requirements, such as how employees should be paid. They can also specify specific ways to work within the company – from processes and culture. policies can govern procedures like recruitment and selection, reward and pay, but they cannot override or replace employment law. HR policies are a great way to ensure staff understand what is expected and protect the company from litigation.

HR policies go beyond the basics

Policies are more than just compliance. They govern how employees are treated, managed, etc., but they also affect the experience that every employee has working for an organisation. A policy is an expression of the company’s culture: it outlines how employees are treated, what we expect from them, and the rewards we offer. It also explains the response to problems. The way the company reacts in any given situation is a major part of employee satisfaction and contributes to the culture.

What HR policies should you have?

HR and management cannot micro-manage everyone and everything. Autonomy is essential for efficient and effective work, whether it’s the way an employee performs their duties, or how they interact. HR policies are a set rules that govern the workplace.

The policies will help managers to understand what’s expected of them and of those they are responsible for. These policies will assist managers in working with their staff and organising them effectively and safely. These policies will help everyone understand what’s acceptable and not.

When do I require a policy?

The HR policies must cover the whole life cycle of an employee at work.

Approval

It is important that an organisation has a clearly defined strategy for attracting new talent. Policies can be used to determine where and how talent is attracted. The language, feel and look of a job advertisement can be affected, ensuring that diverse and suitable candidates are attracted.

The policies can dictate how long it takes to process an application, and what information/evidence is needed by the organisation. Legally, certain documents may need to be provided and background checks conducted before an applicant can be moved forward in the recruitment process.

Onboarding

There may be processes and information that an employee must receive before they begin their new job. It may be necessary to ensure that they are aware of their department and role within the organization. It could be a legal requirement – for instance, health and safety information – that the employee is at risk if they don’t comply. It could also cover mental health issues at work. A policy that demands fairness and respect between employees, as well as physical aspects of the work place.

Induction Programmes can be governed by HR policies. These outline where and when induction will take place, who will conduct these sessions, and how much information and training individuals require before they start working for the company. This policy is important not only from a legal standpoint, but also to ensure that the employee understands the company’s culture, its processes and how things are done.

Continued employment

The HRWorld’s Knowledge Hub provides a clear picture of the many areas that HR must consider in order to maintain and create an effective workforce. These areas also combine legal aspects, cultural aspects and best practices that can enhance the productivity and performance of a workforce.

Good HR policies in each area will help employees understand what they can expect from their organisation and what is expected of themselves. The HR policy will cover reward and recognition at work, discipline when something goes wrong, and other issues. These policies can govern other aspects of the job, such as career expectations and resources available for training and development.

The company culture is also affected by policies such as diversity, grievance policy, parental and care duties, flexible/hybrid working and employee voice.

HR policies may cover certain areas of business, such as specific job roles or events in the calendar. The policies may be based on how employee performance is assessed or the standards to which certain jobs must be performed. Policies can also influence how a task is performed, thus maintaining the culture of the business or the reputation that its customers expect.

Legislation, compliance and legislation

The government is currently introducing Employment Rights Bill, which will bring a wide range of changes and initiatives to the employment process. This will require HR to adapt and create policies that reflect these changes.

For this, the company’s current policies on the affected areas of employment should be reviewed and studied in order to better understand the coverage.

The Bill affects the following areas:

• Unpaid parental, paternity, and bereavement leave
• “Fire and hire again” practices
• Statutory sick pay
• Unfair dismissal
• Zero Hours Contracts

Top Tips on HR Policies

1. Be clear about the purpose of the policy

It is not worth complicating your life, or confusing your management team. Or annoying your employees. They are the ones who must adhere to the policies. Policies must be based on reality, and they should also be easily understood. There is usually a good reason why the law requires something to be done. In the workplace, health and safety must be prioritized. You may have policies that are specific to your company or industry. You may have policies that govern certain groups of employees. The policy should be based on a clear, logical reason.

It should be simple and straightforward.

Policies must be realistic, and they need to be implementable. Managers and employees who do not know what they are or why they exist may ignore them or violate them unknowingly. If policies are too detailed or too strict, employees will feel restricted and “over-managed”. In addition to ensuring that activities within the organization are positive and acceptable for the business, it is important to recognize that employees must feel empowered to be themselves at work.

Make sure that your policy is targeted

It is not necessary to apply policies to all employees. Not all employees need the same amount of training in health and safety. Not everyone is in a managerial position, or needs to know how to interact with others. In the same way, policies shouldn’t overstep their influence. The policies should only cover the necessary requirements. Overly broad policies can cause headaches for those charged with implementing them. They appear unnecessarily wide and employees will be less likely to take the policy seriously. The scope of the policy should not be too broad, but it must cover all important points.

4: Get legal advice

You will be confident as a seasoned professional in HR to create policies that cover all aspects of your organization. There may also be policies in your organisation that aren’t based on law and don’t have legal implications: They are just the actions and behaviors required by your business for its smooth operation and the benefit of employees.

To ensure that they are effective, policies with legal implications must be reviewed by a lawyer. In the event of a legal issue, the policy of the company could be found lacking. This would expose the business to legal action. A company could be held responsible if a policy does not go far enough in protecting employees against physical harm or discrimination.

The following policy areas are included:

• Health, Safety and Well-Being
• How to use the equipment, site safety and lifting activities, etc. Wellbeing can include areas like how to communicate and how to handle disciplinary issues.

Employee relations and HR general issues

• Policies for disciplinary and grievance procedures, including policies on reward, annual leave, volunteerism, parental responsibilities, caring responsibilities, etc.
• Diversity & inclusion policies govern recruitment processes, shortlists, and how people are treated in the company. Promotion, representation etc.

Learning and Development

What, when and how employees can advance their career and skills. It could be how much time an employee can devote to L&D, or financial arrangements. It may also include the level of experience required by employees in order to gain access to learning resources, or qualify for promotion.

Dealing with the public/customers

You should create a code for public interactions if your business has a public face. This can include language use, protocol for handling inquiries, how to handle customer complaints, etc.

Some of the other policies that an organisation may wish to consider are those related to business-wide needs (such as corporate responsibility and anti-bribery) or to technology or new ways of working.

Termination of employment

You may need policies to protect your unique processes or products when someone leaves an organisation. You might require your employees to take part in an exit interview so that you can gather information on their experience. You may have to give ‘garden leaves’ in some cases for senior positions. This means that your employee is not allowed to immediately accept a position with a competitor.

Why would you want to change a policy or a rule?

Legislative changes: The law can change in an area of employment law, which may mean that your policy does not provide the coverage you need.

Changes in your business: If you add or change what your business does, you must be aware of the policy changes that are required to make this happen. You also need to ensure compliance and safety for your new business. You may need to create new policies if your business grows.

Change of strategy: The business may change direction, or even brand. This will require a new set of behaviors and actions from your employees. It may be necessary to change policies in order to reflect the new direction, especially if frontline employees are regularly representing your business.

Changes in terms and conditions for personnel: You may need to make changes to your reward and benefit policies to remain competitive on the talent market. You need to keep up with the salary increases within your industry if you are to avoid attrition.

Never Forget

• Policy should be designed carefully to have the desired impact on the correct employees
  
  As soon as a policy has been implemented, make sure it is having the desired effect. Does someone who enforces this policy create conflict or do they cause inefficiency? Does it improve or harm the workplace?
• Policy must be easy to understand and implement by all those who are required to follow them
  
  Does your staff and manager understand the policy? Is it something that they can do in their daily work without affecting the efficiency of the job? Does the language used in its writing cause confusion or misinterpretation? Does it make sense to the people it will affect?
• It is important to review policies regularly, particularly during times of change in an organisation
  
  Businesses change, people and governments change. You need to know that there are many factors which can make a policy ineffective or outdated.
• Policy must not only reflect the legal obligations of a company but also support and determine its culturee.
  
  Employers must adhere to many legal obligations in order to satisfy their employees. Health and safety, pay and rewards are all important. HR policies can ensure that the business meets its obligations. Some policies can be introduced to regulate the nature of the workplace. They can specify how things are done at the workplace, and this has a direct effect on the culture within the organisation.
• Legal experts should review policies as necessary
  
  It is important to have your policy reviewed by a lawyer to make sure it is up to date and meets all the legal requirements. When things go wrong, the policy will be scrutinized: An employee that doesn’t follow the policies is one thing; a policy that isn’t up for the job is another.

The conclusion of the article is:

Every organisation needs HR policies that govern and reflect its activities. Policies are often adapted to the needs of the business, with new rules and regulations being introduced as they become necessary. Some HR policies are legally binding because they ensure that the business is in compliance with employment laws, while others are not. They may be a condition for employment, and if not followed could result in disciplinary actions or dismissal. Company Culture will be impacted by the content and implementation of HR policies. Employees should always be aware of which policies apply to them, how to implement and maintain them and what happens if they don’t.

FAQ

Why do I require a policy of insurance?

A policy may be required to meet a specific legal requirement. However, a policy will be needed in general if you want something done in your business in a consistent and expected way. A policy will ensure that an activity is done in a certain way. A policy can hold an employee accountable if it’s not.

How long should I keep my insurance?

It can be as short or long as necessary to make it understandable and have the desired impact. It is important that your employees can understand it, or at least as much as possible. People will be confused by policies that are long and convoluted. They may even ignore them.

How many policies will I need?

Policies are needed when a standard is required – either for legal or business reasons. Policies are needed when an organisation is reliant on a specific standard of work – for example, the way employees treat each other, or how customers will be treated. Your policies will vary depending on the nature of your business and industry, as well as who you employ. You should only implement what is absolutely necessary. Too many policies will make employees feel that the company is overburdened with bureaucracy. You may find that they feel micromanaged, or are prevented from taking initiative. Leave breathing room for your employees to contribute and be themselves.

Can I buy my insurance policy from another person?

It would be a violation of copyright to copy a company’s policy word-for-word. However, you can use a policy that is already in place as a model or example for your own. Remember that policies are unique to each organisation and because they affect company culture, it’s unlikely you would want someone else’s.