Why you need a suite of HR policies

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Home > Blog > Why you need a suite of HR policies
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Each business needs to have a solid suite of policies and procedures to help them guide the actions of staff.  

Policies and procedures help keep the workplace a professional, pleasant, and productive environment and provide structure, control, consistency and fairness. They also ensure compliance with employment legislation and inform employees of their responsibilities and the company’s expectations.

HR policies address areas critical to the company mission, ensuring operational efficiency.

Features of a HR policy:

Policies always contain general guidelines for staff behaviour.  They also explain the consequences if the guidelines aren’t followed, such as various forms of disciplinary action, including termination.

HR policies can never cover every situation, but they must provide management with the flexibility to make clear and efficient decisions based on individual circumstances. 

Employee’s and HR policies

HR policies often set standards for:

  • Working hours
  • Attendance
  • Workplace conduct
  • Health and safety
  • Anti-harassment and non-discrimination
  • Use of Social Media
  • Drugs and alcohol in the workplace
  • The resolution of workplace conflicts

The role of the HR advisor in policy:

An appropriately qualified HR advisor can develop policies and communicate them to all employees. This includes:

  • Providing all the forms and documents required for policy implementation.
  • Reviewing, adding, deleting or revising policies to ensure that they remain compliant with legislation and business needs.
  • Helping interpret policies, ensuring that they’re applied fairly throughout the organisation.
  • Assisting managers in applying policies to work situations such as hiring new employees, conducting performance appraisals or disciplining subordinates.

HR policies as management tools:

HR policies are a resource for managers who are dealing with various situations that occur in the workplace. Policies on hiring, termination, performance evaluation and disciplinary action provide managers with the basis and context to manage staff. They also ensure managers treat employees fairly and consistently. However, policies are often general in nature, allowing managers to respond as specific situations demand.

To ensure you have the right policies in place please call Preston HR on 4052 0709.