Are you still handing your new team members an old outdated booklet when they start knowing they will probably not ever read it?
Policies and procedures are integral to a successful workplace. They reinforce and clarify the standards expected of the team, assist in the creation of workplace culture and assist employers in training and management more effectively. They define what is acceptable and unacceptable in the workplace and remove the option of someone saying “I didn’t know”.
They can also provide clear step by step instruction on how tasks should be completed to assist in ensuring your business is always represented in line with your company goals and ethics and ensure consistency in the decision-making and operational procedures.
When formulated and issued correctly they also form an invaluable part of risk management and are integral in minimising the business’s exposure to unnecessary potential claims, unfair dismissal, OHS prosecution or liability claims.
Workplace policies should include:
· Use of company property
· Social media policy
· First aid policy
· Smoking policy
· Drugs and alcohol policy
· Performance management policy
· Employee development policy
· Out of office safety policy (Real Estate industry)
· Unsafe premises policy (Real Estate industry)
· Pool policy (Real Estate industry)
· Underquoting policy (Real Estate industry)
· Multiple offer policy (Real Estate industry)
· First point of contact policy (Real Estate industry)
And the list goes on and on…….
Policies need to be:
· Correctly written in compliance with laws and regulations
· Provided and explained to new employees
· issued to existing employees (updates and changes)
· RELEVANT TO YOUR BUSINESS – customised to your specific culture, industry and business practices.
It is imperative that policies are CURRENT and that a business maintains proof that each employee has received and acknowledged each one.
In the unfortunate instance where a claim is made, many businesses find themselves exposed due to the fact policies have not been communicated properly to employees or have not been maintained consistently.
Simply handing a new team member and large outdated encyclopedia like booklet when they commence is no longer good enough! (Plus it’s boring and NO ONE reads it).
Policies and Procedures should be live (constantly updated) in the cloud, accessible and searchable (using keywords) at all times by your team.
Create a central reference library that is so easy to access it is easy to educate your team that this is the fastest / best way to obtain information in the workplace…. Create your own internal search engine in your office and guarantee best and correct practice by your team!