09 Jun Employment Policies and Procedures

All organisations should have a clear set of policies and procedures that govern not just relevant employment and HR areas but all aspects of their operations. The benefits of policies and procedures reach far beyond being legally compliant and can contribute hugely to the overall effectiveness of an organisation provided they are consistently applied.

Why Have Written HR Policies and Procedures ?

1. They help employees know what is expected of them with regard to standards of behaviour and performance in a wide range of areas such as suitable dress for work, potential bullying behaviours, how to deal with customers and the use of mobile phones in the workplace.
2. They also provide guidelines for managers in dealing with non adherence and guide consistent decision making in taking disciplinary action and in situations which may involve different managers.
3. They provide a clear method and system for dealing with issues and complaints between employees that demonstrates fair and equal treatment.
4. They provide a way to communicate information to employees that ensures everyone gets the same message.
5. Written policies and procedures will help promote legal compliance in a number of areas and can also provide a defence in the event of a legal claim e.g. having an anti harassment and bullying policy in place and communicated to employees can provide a defence that reasonable steps were taken to prevent harassment occurring.

However in order for an organisation to gain the clear benefits of having employment policies and procedures in place it is critical that they are kept up to date and actually applied in a consistent manner. It will be very difficult to rely on an out of date policy that is only applied on a selective basis when it suits. If you need help and guidance on developing a robust tailored set of policies and procedures for the benefit of your business and your employees please contact Carmel Murphy to discuss further.