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Category: People policies
The problem with people policies pt.3
The last but certainly not the least of our ‘3Cs’ – contemporary tone. In this final update, we’re looking at how the tone of your policies will help them remain engaging, relevant and true to your business values.
It’s not what you say but the way that you say it – never truer than in respect of your people policies. Here are my top tips…
Choice of words – straight-talking and plain-English. Engaging and clear language will immediately create a more accessible document and something employees actually want to read. Did you know, around 60% of employees will avoid reading your handbook?
Inclusivity – make sure to drop any-gendered or non-inclusive language so that you’re creating universal appeal.
A feast for the eyes – illustrating processes with flowcharts or getting your message across with images or graphics can really help to break up what are often text-heavy documents.
Layout – setting out your policies so they align with the employment journey will help to make them easier to navigate.
Tech – there are almost endless possibilities with tech to help create something unique. Whether that’s incorporating video-based content to deliver key messages or building something interactive and tactile – the sky’s the limit!
This update is accurate on the date it was published, but may be subject to change which may or may not be notified to you. This update is not to be taken as advice and you should seek advice if anything contained within affects you or your business.
The problem with people policies pt.2
People policies are a great opportunity to help protect your business and explain your expectations.
You’ll save time and money in the long run!
Here are my top three suggestions to help set those expectations.
Out and about – policies such as ‘being out and about on our business’ can help clarify what’s expected from your employees when they’re networking or attending a client/customer’s site. What they wear, whether they drink, what they pay for (to name a few) can all create challenge so a few lines in a policy can save much embarrassment (and the odd disciplinary!).
‘Side hustles’ – how do you feel about employees working outside of your organisation (perhaps for themselves or another company)? Is that ok, something you encourage, is it a complete ‘no-no’? Having a policy that requires employees to explain their intentions for work outside of your organisation can mean difficult conversations are avoided and you ensure they’re not working in breach of the Working Time Regulations (along with much more).
Social media – your employees can be your greatest asset, or your biggest risk. Set out what you consider is appropriate and how employees can use social media as a force for good (of course explaining what might happen if they don’t!).
This update is accurate on the date it was published, but may be subject to change which may or may not be notified to you. This update is not to be taken as advice and you should seek advice if anything contained within affects you or your business.
The problem with people policies…
Seldom read and frequently misunderstood, how do you ensure your people policies work for you, and not against you?
We think it’s all about the ‘3Cs’ – compliance, commerciality and contemporary tone. The ‘3Cs’ take a people policy from zero to hero. In this series, we’ll cover each ‘C’ in turn. Below we’ve kicked off with ‘compliance’ and what that means for your people policies.
Short and sweet – you want your employment contracts to be short and sweet, so use the law to help you leave out of your employment contracts anything which can rightfully be placed in your policies. Think data protection, confidential information and managing sickness absence, to name a few.
Contractual – you’ll want to ensure that some policies (such as confidential information) are contractual – be sure to call it out in the policy to save everyone guessing (and arguing if there’s a breach). If an employee doesn’t follow a contractual policy, they’ll be in breach, with the possible penalty being far more severe than otherwise (including dismissal in some circumstances). Contractual policies help to flag the importance of the policy and any breach of it.
Flexibility – think carefully about which policies should be non-contractual. Non-contractual policies give you greater flexibility if a situation arises where you don’t want to have to follow every detail – your sickness absence procedure or disciplinary policy are prime examples of where flexibility is important.
Don’t forget! – ensure that your disciplinary policy and performance policy are distinct and separate – mixing the two can mean you’ll have an unfair dismissal on your hands (we see this more often than you’d think!).