HR Policies and Procedures

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HR Policies and Procedures

Employees are the foundation of any successful company. If you want your organisation to function seamlessly, then workers should be capable of functioning as a unit and towards the same goals.

However, this is not easy to accomplish because individuals have widely varying principles. One way to create some level of consistency is to have everyone observe the same rules, which is where human resources come in. HR policies and procedures are developed to help improve the employee experience.

Regardless of the industry or size, every company must ensure that it has concise human resources policies. Before that, though, you should know what value these systems add to your entity.

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What Are HR Policies and Procedures

HR Policies also known as Human Resource Policies. These policies and procedures are used to safeguard both employer and employee, regulate ways things are done and make sure conform with the law and clarify the rights and obligations of both parties within its employment relationship.

HR policies definition rules that govern certain actions in an organisation, and by which every person must abide. It is a formal statement.

HR Procedures definition outline how a policy should be implemented. So, they provide a blueprint for people to follow. Policies and procedures hold a company together.

The HR department is responsible for drawing up these policies and implementing them as efficiently as possible.

A company’s HR team handles the recruitment, hiring and onboarding of employees. If there were no rules to govern these processes, then a business could easily fall into chaos.

Note that different companies have varying human resources policies. However, all the employees in an organisation have to follow the established rules. These policies and procedures should be easily accessible to everyone. Human resources policies evolve with time because companies go through changes.

Why are HR policies and procedures important?

People have different approaches to various things. If each person had to work according to their principles, then that would cause confusion and conflict. Human resources policies prevent this. 

They establish what constitutes appropriate or inappropriate workplace behaviour. From the minute workers join a company, they know how they are supposed to act. Policies also include the consequences that employees should face when they don’t follow the rules.

What is the purpose of HR policies?

Human resources policies and procedures protect a company from liability issues. The documents include guidelines for worker safety and rights. An organisation’s policies must adhere to employee legislation. A properly written HR policy can save a business from employee lawsuits.

An HR policy can boost efficiency and productivity. These policies and procedures guide supervisors on how to perform their duties, thus improving workflow. Every worker knows the scope of their responsibilities and what would happen if they don’t meet them.

How do you write a HR policy?

How you write an HR policy matters a great deal. Policies and procedures must be comprehensive, clear and address specific issues. Here are some tips for drafting an engaging HR policy:

Involve key stakeholders in this process. The only way to have an inclusive document is to get the opinions of different players in the organisation. Identify who these are and the information that you require from them. For example, you can have employee representatives from various departments, the legal team and executives.

Decide which topics you want to address in the policy. A company can have many issues to deal with, which is why you should prioritise. What topics require the most attention? Look at the matters that unions usually have questions about. You should also focus on the most problematic sections in terms of compliance.

An HR policy should be easy to understand. Don’t leave room for different interpretations. All the information in the document should be relevant. Avoid creating overly complicated policies. Use succinct language that doesn’t leave employees with more questions.

HR policies and procedures help companies run smoothly by providing employers and employees with a clear set of rules. They address critical issues in an organisation and prevent confusion.

What HR policies should businesses have in place?

Identifying a comprehensive list of recommended HR policies and procedures that should be introduced can be difficult as HR policies vary widely between each business and their requirements. Sadly there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question?

HR Policies

HR Policies and procedures cover a wide spectrum of subjects and we have listed a few areas to think about below:

Recruitment: Selection criteria, induction and onboarding.
Referral payment

Employee Relationship: Holidays, Parental (Maternity & Paternity), volunteering, trade union, disciplinary, grievance,  harassment and bullying policies

Performance and Benefits: Rewards, promotions, Bonuses, and pensions.

Health & Safety: Prevention and provision to keep workers safe and in line with regulations.

Wellbeing: Handling work-related stress. 

Development & Training: Helping develop skills, knowledge, and abilities.
Courses, training and distributing resources.

Others: Anti-bribery, equality and diversity, whistleblowing, protected disclosure (NDA), bullying, harassment, Internet usage and social media.

Departures: Resignation, dismissal, redundancy or retirement. Departure interview

Note: HR Policies and procedures contain personal data which must be protected by GDPR.

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