Best practice for new employees is to induct them into your organisation and provide them with a copy of your workplace policies and procedures.
Workplace policies and procedures guide various aspects of the business, outlining clear expectations and providing a consistent approach to managing workplace issues.
The six must-have policies for your workplace are:
Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) Policy, highlighting any potential workplace risks or hazards.
Anti-Discrimination Policy, promoting equal employment opportunity.
Privacy Policy, regarding the protection or disclosure of an employee’s personal details.
Leave Policy, outlining the guidelines and requirements for accessing leave entitlements.
Complaints & Grievances Policy, with options for conflict resolution and employee assistance.
Performance Management Policy, outlining the process for performance management, counselling and discipline of employees.
The above-mentioned policies are an umbrella for several other essential policies, including:
WHS
Appropriate Workplace Conduct or Code of Conduct, discussing respect and responsibility.
Bullying & Harassment Policy, including sexual harassment and family & domestic violence.
Mentally Healthy Workplace Policy, promoting employee wellbeing and providing support.
Pandemic Policy, preventing and responding to an outbreak, including infection control.
Building Evacuation Policy, including your safety procedure for an emergency evacuation.
Mandatory Reporting, notifying the WHS regulator in your jurisdiction of certain health and safety incidents.
Anti-Discrimination
Disability Access and Inclusion Policy, promoting equal opportunity for people with disabilities.
Diversity Policy, promoting gender parity and cultural diversity.
Some policies such as Family & Domestic Violence and Appropriate use of IT and Social Media could fall under both WHS and Anti-Discrimination policies.
Are your policies relevant and appropriate to your particular workplace?
You should regularly review your policies and procedures to ensure compliance with current employment legislation.
Your policies also need to reflect your unique workplace culture. For example, some workplaces may choose to include policies around LGBTI Inclusion, Vaccination, Working from Home, Sustainability, Smoking, Alcohol & Drugs and/or Use of Company Property. As your workplace culture evolves, your HR policies should follow suit.
Checklists & Information Sheets
To ensure procedural compliance, HR managers should implement checklists. For example:
Recruitment checklists
Probation checklist
Onboarding checklist
Termination checklist
Pandemic prevention and response checklist
Industry-specific checklists (e.g. Aged Care Quality & Safety Standards)
Managers also need to provide staff with information, such as an employee handbook including policies, procedures and additional resources. For example:
Equal Employment Opportunity
Employee Assistance Program
Hygiene & Infection Control
WHS for Remote Employees
Don’t assume that your managers and staff already know the policies and procedures
Any time that you review and update your policies and procedures, make sure that all employees understand the changes. Running a refresher training or info session is the best way to ensure that your staff are well informed.
WorkPlacePLUS can develop or review your policies and procedures, ensuring that all protocols reflect your unique workplace culture and comply with current regulations. We can also educate your staff on important updates and help to address any questions or concerns they may have.
Read about the Essential HR Toolkit >
For more information, please contact us today.
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