Written by Olivia Lim, HR Consultant at Melbourne HR
Workplace policies and procedures - the crux of HR admin. Employers don’t want to write them, and employees aren’t too enthused about reading them.
And yes, while these documents might not be the most exciting document to draft and proofread, it is actually easier than you think. And the benefits of having policies and procedures in place far outweigh the costs.
Today, we’ll be going through the most important elements for writing your Policies and Procedures, including:
The differences between policies and procedures
The importance of having both policies and procedures within your organisation
Tips for writing good workplace policies and procedures
The most important policies and procedures your employees should have access to.
The running example we will use in our discussion today is a topic that has increased in importance in recent years and something my colleagues and I are extremely passionate about - Diversity and Inclusion.
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The Difference Between Policies and Procedures
Before we get tied down in the nitty gritty details, let’s first take a look at the difference between policies and procedures.
WORKPLACE POLICIES outline your organisation’s expectations concerning specific aspects of the business. In essence, anything and everything that relates to the day-to-day operations of your organisation. This includes technical aspects, behavioural expectations, legal obligations, and external assistance. For example, a Diversity and Inclusion policy is a commitment by the organisation to protect against the discrimination of protected attributes which are reflected in anti-discrimination laws such as the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, Sex Discrimination Act 1984, Disability Discrimination Act 1992, and Age Discrimination Act 2004.
WORKPLACE PROCEDURES are established ways of doing something which, in this instance, is ensuring policies are enacted. In simple terms, procedures act as a guiding tool for the implementation of your organisation’s policies. For example, a procedure referencing your Diversity and Inclusion Policy may outline steps that recruiters take to ensure unconscious bias is minimised during the hiring process. This may be in the form of removing names from resumes when shortlisting candidates.
I know what you’re thinking, that sounds like a lot of individual documents. There is a reason policies and procedures are often discussed in conjunction, and that is because they can be written together!
Why Do Workplaces Need Policies and Procedures?
It may seem like a pretty simple question, however the benefits of having well-structured policies and procedures extend far beyond basic compliance.
1.Increased Compliance
The aforementioned anti-discrimination laws provide a great perspective as to the benefit of policies and procedures in the context of legal compliance. On a macro-scale, they ensure your organisation reinforces legislation within the workplace. Not only does this protect your organisation from illegal business practices, but it also demonstrates your proactive attitude toward regulatory standards.
Expectations and norms also vary across different industries. It’s imperative that your organisation is not only aware, but also actively adheres to these standards. As such, directly referencing, transcribing, paraphrasing, or describing how you will achieve these standards, is beneficial and recommended in all policy/procedure documents.
2. Improved Internal Processes
Policies and procedures assist in the management of your internal processes, particularly as your organisation expands. Whether your firm is transitioning from 3 to 6 employees, or 50 to 100, having policies and procedures in place ensures consistency is maintained throughout your growth phase.
Consistency in regards to behaviour, performance, and expectations can be particularly important in maintaining the culture of your workplace. Therefore, having a centralised area for employees to access these documents strengthens your own internal processes.
3. Assists in Navigating Difficult Situations
Workplace policies and procedures can prevent incidents from occurring. Take our Diversity and Inclusion Policy, for example, which summarises the dos and don'ts extracted from legislation. Hiring managers aren’t expected to have detailed knowledge of all the anti-discrimination laws and equal opportunity legislation. As such, following a workplace policy and procedure assists in preventing any discrimination from occurring.
Furthermore, these documents can guide its user as to what to do once an incident has occurred. This can be in the form of a Dispute Settlement Procedure if an employee would like to raise a concern. For managers who find it difficult communicating with certain employees, a simple reference to a policy can also mitigate any potential conflicts. Sorry, you cannot smoke on premises as stated in our Smoking Policy.
4. Provides Employees with Guidance if Needed
Workplace policies and procedures are ultimately there to guide employees. As stated, these documents act as preventative and reactive tools, which can be especially useful in times of uncertainty.
Employees can be proactive in their behaviours and reference workplace policy and procedures if their point of contact is busy or out of office. Employees who are more introverted can also find comfort in organisational policies and procedures as they can find what they are looking for without concerning others.
Written guidance also frees up time for managers as they do not have to respond in length to emails or queries about overarching organisational topics - they can simply direct the employee to a specific policy.
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This free document includes important review areas such as remuneration, policies/procedures and strategy.
Tips For Writing Good Workplace Policies and Procedures
So far we have covered the importance of workplace policies and procedures. But when it comes to actually drafting these documents, how do you ensure what you are writing is appropriately and effectively communicated to the reader?
Here’s our recommended structure for writing workplace policies/procedures:
Brief overview of the policy and/or procedure
Purpose describing the reason it has been created
Scope referencing who this document applies to
The issuance date and date for next review (typically a year depending on the type of policy)
Definitions
The policy
The procedure
Within each of these sections, it is recommended to letter and number the different segments, that way it is easy to reference a particular section of the policy. For example, section a) i. references the first pillar of a company’s diversity strategy.
As a whole, these documents need to outline your organisation’s expectations, and then how you will achieve those expectations. The key is in ensuring your policies and procedures are broad enough to cover a wide range of circumstances, but also detailed enough to ensure no ambiguity exists.
Otherwise, you can get someone else to do it! Contact Melbourne HR for a personalised Employee Handbook, filled with policies and procedures tailored to your business.
Policies Your Employees Should Have Access To
Now that we are equipped to write policies and procedures, which are the most important to have? The answer is - all of them - but if you’re looking for a starting point, have a look at the list below:
Alcohol and Drug
Anti-Bullying
Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment
Code of Conduct
Confidentiality
Diversity and Inclusion
Employee Duties and Responsibilities
Equal Opportunity
Dispute Resolution Process
Occupational/Work Health and Safety
Policies and Procedures play a much bigger part in compliance, culture and conflict than most people realise. Take the time to review your documents and set your business up for success this EOFY.
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If you need help drafting new policies and procedures for your organisation, contact Melbourne HR for a free consultation and quote.
Olivia Lim is a HR Consultant with Melbourne HR.
Edited by Nicole Torrington, Marketing Manager at Melbourne HR.