Rules, rules, rules!!!!
Who likes to follow them?
And yet they are necessary to ensure a smooth workflow; safety for selves, colleagues, the company; to make sure everyone is clear about their employer’s expectations while at work; clarity around their specific duties; informed knowledge of any regulatory authorities who may enforce their own codes of conduct; and of course, to not inadvertently break the law, which could have dire consequences for both your employees and you!!
When all is said and done, the most rebellious person must admit that it’s always easier to get things done and work projects complete when there are specific instructions, policies, and procedures to follow.
In addition, company compliance policies protect the business from unnecessary and avoidable lawsuits. They are intended to provide all employees with equal opportunity, establish a safe working environment, and enlighten employees on what to expect from the leadership team. However, even the best-intentioned business policies are ineffective if they are not adhered to consistently and as specified. Some tips are listed below to help create a happily compliant work environment:
1. Document Policies
If you don’t have some, get some, or rather create some – stat!! You need to be proactive. Don’t expect you’ll be able to come up with sensible, equitable policies on the spur of the moment. If you don’t already have policies in place, your HR department should make this a top priority. Solicit feedback from managers, but the final decision in the policy-making process rests with your human resources department. You want to make policies that will benefit your organization the most. That may contradict what your staff wants at times. You should have policies to cover:
- Holidays, vacations, sick days, and personal leaves
- Performance evaluations and improvement
- Equal Employment Opportunity
- Employee classifications
- Payment schedules, including advances, deductions, and overtime
- Meals and breaks
- Terminations
Knowing how you’ll handle a difficult situation before it arises helps to assure compliance by setting expectations, therefore you may want to add a few more policies to your list. Will you allow employees to bring concealed guns to work? Will applicants or employees be subjected to background checks or drug tests? What happens if one employee accuses another of harassment or bullying? Is it permissible for employees to bring their pets to work?
2. Create Awareness
It’s impossible to ensure compliance if no one knows what the policies are. At all times, you should have a complete, detailed list of your policies on hand. Make a binder and put it in the staff break room. When a new employee is hired, provide him or her a printed and digital copy of the company’s policies. Most crucial, go over the policies with the employee to make sure he or she knows them and agrees to follow them. Ignorance should never be used as an excuse for failing to follow company policy.
Make your company policies essential reading material, but don’t stop there, make a fun game out of it. Create a quiz or a questionnaire to encourage employees to express their opinions on policies. It will be useful input for you, and it will provide new hires the opportunity to think about each policy and its implications in a relaxed way.
3. Do as I say, but not as I do…NEVER works!
It all starts at the top. Your staff will either follow suit or get disillusioned with your leadership if your supervisors take extended lunch breaks, use corporate property for personal business, or publish unapproved updates on social media. Everyone, from the CEO to the college intern, is affected by corporate practises. If one employee fails to follow corporate policy, others will assume they are not required to do so. The greatest threat to the successful implementation of your organisational rules is inconsistency.
4. There may be exceptions
It’s not necessary to have a rule for everything. However, in the majority of instances, you should be prepared and have some form of broad guideline. If you’re unsure about a policy, don’t rule it out entirely. Instead, state that this scenario “shall be dealt with at the discretion of the manager.” This allows you to adjust policies later if they don’t appear to be appropriate for your company.
5. What does the law say?
According to federal law, every business must have specific policies in place. Consult an attorney to confirm that your company’s policies are compliant with your country’s health and safety laws, labour laws, and other regulations. Remember that your company policies are more than just a manual or a guide. They are often treated as a contract between an employer and its employees in a court of law. This isn’t something you should put off until a crisis occurs. Now is the time to create and enforce organisational policy to avoid future problems.
