9 Standard HR Policies and Procedures in the Best Workplaces
No company can function properly without at least a few HR policies and procedures. Without these guidelines, any business or organization that features a team of at least two people would quickly turn to chaos. If your business has an HR department, they should be responsible for developing and implementing some HR policies that will be good for you, the employer, as well as for your employees.
HR policies are used to describe different goals, objectives, and results that have to be achieved by the employees of a company. They are the guidelines that describe what should be done and what shouldn’t be done, as well as which actions will be taken towards those who fail to comply. HR procedures, on the other hand, are established to explain processes, and to state who should complete the different steps of each process, and how.
The HR policies and procedures must be properly combined for an organization to be efficient. Policies describe the many goals of a company, big or small, while procedures guide the employees so they can know how to meet these goals.
If you work in human resources, the following are nine standard HR policies and procedures implemented in the best workplaces:
1. Code of conduct
A code of conduct is a HR policy that must be established to make sure every employee knows about the values of the company they are working for, as well as what is expected of them.
Your code of conduct will explain which behaviour is acceptable and unacceptable, how employees should dress, and other guidelines that everyone needs to be aware of.
2. Compensation and benefits policies
It’s important for new employees to know how they should behave at work, but they are surely more interested in the guidelines surrounding their compensation.
It is standard to include compensation and benefits in your HR policies and procedures. The policy must clearly state the compensation each employee will receive, as well as the bonuses, insurance policies, paid leaves, medical coverages, retirement packages, and discounts that could be a part of their benefits. You should manage the employee benefits carefully to ensure a balance between fair compensation and competitive expenses.
3. Work health and safety policies
The work health and safety component is an important part of your HR policies and procedures. It is necessary in industries where employees are at risk of getting injured while they perform different tasks.
This policy describes the safety procedures in place, and lists the responsibilities of employees towards their workplace, the equipment they use, and their coworkers. It also explains what will happen to anyone who doesn’t take safety seriously.
4. Drug and alcohol policies
Most companies have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to drug and alcohol being consumed at the workplace.
Since drugs and alcohol can be responsible for injuries, for absenteeism, and for decreased productivity, the drug and alcohol policy of a business can also explain what is expected of employees during, and before their work shifts.
5. Bullying and harassment policies
As you already know, bullying, harassment and discrimination can occur anywhere, even at the workplace. This is why businesses should implement a bullying and harassment policy to try to prevent incidents, and to teach employees what to do if incidents do happen.
This policy should clearly explain what is considered bullying, sexual harassment, and discrimination, and it should describe how those who are found guilty of inappropriate behaviour will be disciplined.
6. Employee grievance policies
Your goal should be to make sure your employees have nothing to complain about. However, when an employee wants to place a complaint, an employee grievance policy will help them understand how they can do it.
The HR policies and procedures should describe what an employee who has a grievance should do, who they should talk to, and how their complaint will be handled. Employees need to know that their superiors will listen to them, and take their concerns seriously.
7. Unpaid leave policies
There are many reasons why an employee might need to take time off work. Unpaid leave can be a complement to paid leave, so each company should have an unpaid leave policy.
These HR policies and procedures describe how much time off an employee can take each year, without being paid but without losing any of their benefits.
8. Internet and email policies
If your employees have access to a computer or to any mobile device during their work hours, you need to develop an Internet and email policy. These HR policies could explain, for example, that employees are not allowed to check personal emails during their work shift.
Some companies also have a social media policy, which lets them know how they are expected to behave on social media, to make sure they won’t damage the reputation of their employer.
9. Privacy policies
Finally, a privacy policy should be in place to let employees know how their employers will protect their personal information.
This policy states how their personal information, as well as the information of the company’s customers, will be used and managed.
