As an employer, having up to date and produce legally compliant HR documents which include policies and procedures is crucial to provide structure, consistency, fairness, and employment legislation compliance within your business.
Your HR documents and policies should set out what employees and managers can expect, and what is expected of them, in a range of circumstances. They should also provide transparency on how your recruitment processes are managed and to support the on boarding process. They should provide written guidance for employees and managers on how to handle a range of employment issues.
A policy is a formal statement of a principle or rule that your employee must follow and addresses issues important to the organisation’s mission or operations. A procedure tells people within the organisation how to carry out or implement a policy. Put simply, policies are written as statements or rules and procedures are written as instructions, in logical steps. HR policy needs often vary widely between organisations.
HR Documents, Policies and Procedures
Certain HR policies and procedures are specifically needed to comply with employment law and legislation and there are several HR policies that every business should have:
- Disciplinary and Grievance Policies – by law you should have them in place, so everyone is clear about what is required.
- Health & Safety Policy – all organisations employing five or more people are legally required to have a written health & safety policy
- Equal Opportunities Policy – both employers and employees can be held responsible and liable for their actions if they discriminate. A written equal opportunities policy sets out what is expected.
- Absence Policy – you should include the procedure for taking holidays, notifying sickness absence, the purpose of return-to-work interviews, and any triggers for disciplinary action.
Other HR policies or procedures may not be required by law but having them in place to give clear guidance on issues will help employees understanding and assist managers to implement and manage HR related situations.
Focus on Organisational Need
There is no one size fits all solution to what your HR policies and procedures look like. To ensure these documents are effective, their content should be based on the needs of the organisation and its workforce, focusing on why there is a need for a particular policy and how that policy aligns with overall business strategy.
HR policy and procedure documentation should address a real need in your business and be in line with your company values, so devoting time, and resources to develop an HR policy and procedure strategy for your business before the need arises will pay dividends in the long term. HR issues will inevitably arise and having your HR documentation in place will make it much easier and quicker to deal with them.
As your business changes, so should your HR policies. Review them regularly to ensure that they are relevant and, crucially, are providing the protection that you and your employees need.
If you need help with HR Strategy, creating HR documents, policy and procedures then please get in touch to find out how we can help.
