HR Foundations: The Benefits of Early Policy Implementation
- Emma Bisseker
- Apr 18, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 28, 2024
Imagine trying to build a house without a solid foundation – you’d face delays, higher costs, compliance risks, and long-term stability issues. The same logic applies to your HR function, especially when it comes to policies and procedures.
Starting with the basics is crucial. You need to understand what you have, what you need, where the gaps are, and what can be streamlined. That’s where an HR audit comes in handy. It helps you figure out what needs to stay, what can go, and how to simplify things to avoid unnecessary management headaches.
Having core HR policies, procedures, and processes provides you with a great addition to a manager's toolkit and a go-to guide for employees. They set the tone, clarify expectations, provide crucial information, and keep everyone compliant with employment laws. Well-crafted policies save time, resources, and money in the long run. Plus, they can enhance workplace harmony and even boost employee retention by demonstrating respect and fairness.
Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to policies, even for smaller organisations. Start with the basics that match your size, culture, and immediate needs. Your HR policies should support your organisation, not bog it down. You can stick to government-mandated policies or, budget permitting, enhance them to better reflect your company’s ethos.
The key is to keep your policies user-friendly, straightforward, accessible, and up-to-date. They should reflect how your organisation operates while staying compliant. Regular reviews and updates are essential to align with business and legal changes. Streamlining policies can help you manage people more efficiently.
Leaders often express frustration about lacking time for people issues or processes that could boost team morale, productivity, and retention. Clear, helpful policies prevent these frustrations by providing a clear path for addressing conduct issues, sickness absence, performance management, and more. They can also ensure that employees are taking entitled leave, having coaching conversations and performance discussions – all of this is of course, provided that they are implemented. People management is part of a leader’s role, but it shouldn’t take up more time than is needed.
In summary here’s why HR policies are essential:
Legal Compliance: UK employment law is complex and ever-changing. Regularly updated policies keep you compliant with regulations on working hours, equal opportunities, discrimination, health and safety, and more.
Consistency and Fairness: Policies ensure consistent decision-making and fair treatment, promoting a positive workplace culture and improving morale and retention.
Employee Expectations: Clear policies set expectations for behaviour and performance, fostering a positive work environment and reducing misunderstandings.
Risk Management: Well-documented policies mitigate risks from grievances, disputes, and legal actions, saving time, money, and resources.
Employee Development: Policies on training and development support professional growth, contributing to a skilled, motivated, and engaged workforce.
When implementing HR policies, consider:
Assessment: Determine your company’s needs, values, and culture to identify essential policies.
Legal Compliance: Ensure policies adhere to current UK laws and regulations.
Consultation: Involve key stakeholders to gather input and ensure buy-in.
Customisation: Tailor policies to your company’s specific requirements to make them relevant and trustworthy.
Communication: Effectively communicate policies to all employees and provide regular updates and refreshers.
Educating managers and employees on these policies and applying them fairly can prevent disputes and boost engagement, trust, and confidence. Regular reviews keep them relevant and aligned with legislative and business changes, ensuring they remain effective and supportive of both business and employee needs.
At Reach Peak Performance, we design clear, easy-to-navigate, user-friendly policies that complement your culture and we train managers on how to implement them as part of their people management approach/style. We also offer development of process flows and awareness sessions to ensure employees understand and follow the policies.
With the recent change in government, I think we will definitely see an uptick in company's reviewing what they have and what they need to do to stay aligned and up to date.
If you are looking to review your existing policies and procedures or have identified a gap that needs assessing get in touch to see how we can help at info@reachpeakperformancecoaching.co,uk or visit us at www.reachpeakperformancecoaching.com
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