Your HR policies and procedures are useful documents. They shouldn’t be rotting away in the filing cabinet or hidden away on your PC.

These HR policies are needed to deal with a wide array of issues. If an employee has a concern they wish to raise, you should manage their complaint via your grievance procedure. If an employee has committed an act of misconduct, you will need to follow the steps in your disciplinary procedure. Or if an employee wants to go on holiday, they will need to comply with the rules set out in your annual leave policy.

But having the right HR policies and procedures is not enough. They also need to be implemented correctly by your managers.

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Here are six key things all employers should do to ensure their policies are implemented properly:

1. Tailor to your organisation

All your HR policies and procedures need to be aligned to your organisation’s vision, values and workplace culture, taking into account your size and resources.

You also need to make sure that your policies and procedures reflect the nature of your organisation. For example, you may require a dress code stating that employees need to wear a uniform or your employees need to wear Personal Protective Equipment. 

2. Discuss any new policies with employees

If you are seeking to introduce new policies, you need to speak to your employees directly or with employee representatives.

Talking through what you are planning to introduce or change will let them understand the rationale behind the rules. It also gives them the chance to raise their views and concerns.

3. Communicate the policies to staff

It’s essential to make sure the Employee Handbook is easily accessible for all employees. So you could give them a printed copy, email them a digital copy. You could also put important policies on notice boards in communal areas and upload to the company intranet.

When a new member of staff joins, they should be given the Employee Handbook and told to read it. If you have a diverse workforce, you can consider getting the policy translated into their native tongue or providing them with a through induction.

Once they have read and understood the content of the Employee Handbook, you should ask them to sign and return a receipt that clearly states they have done so.

4. Train your managers

Your managers must be familiar with the rules in your policies and competently able to follow through all the steps in your procedures. After all, they are the ones that will be carrying out appraisals, return to work interviews after absence or having difficult conversations with employees

They should receive regular training to ensure that their knowledge is up-to-date.

5. Enforce the rules

If you notice that a high percentage of employees are violating a particular policy, you will need to take steps to resolve the issue.

For example, good timekeeping is important in any team. A late arrival at work can put unfair pressure on colleagues and affect the smooth running of the business. So if you notice that a few employees are arriving late to work in the mornings, you will need to review your policy and ensure that action is being taken to address the issue.

6. Monitor changes to the law

The law is always on the move, so make sure that your Employee Handbook is reviewed and updated if and when required to ensure you are in compliance with the law.

To explore your HR policies and procedures, contact us to find how out Employment Law Advisers can help you.

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