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When Setting Policy and Procedure, Proceed with Caution
| Guest post by: Betty Penny |
Article Overview: Many organizations adopt a policy and procedure only after years of operation. Sometimes viewed as broad guides to action, policies are never formally adopted, merely understood. Procedures on the other hand, are quicker to be adopted in order to make the process of action quicker. Everything from dealing with employees, customers to the process of manufacturing should be examined. Essentially these are a large part of the goals of the organization and the strategic plan for obtaining and using resources to achieve goals more effectively.
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When Setting Policy and Procedure, Proceed with Caution
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "An organization is the lengthened shadow of a man." What this means is every "corporate citizen" must abide by the rules of the society within which he or she operates. Which explains why policies and procedures are so vital to organizations today.
Policy is the art of prudent conduct; a plan by which the organization sets a course and follows in order to maximize its efforts. Procedure is the mode of conducting business, or the processes by which the organization adopts to perform tasks more efficiently.
So policies and procedures are standards of conduct, and similar statements of corporate policy and value have become more common in today's working world. Today, over 90% of all major corporations carry some form of public policy or code of ethics standards. The reasons for this are to increase public confidence, stem the tide of regulations, improve internal operations and respond to transgressions.
Many organizations adopt a policy and procedure only after years of operation. Sometimes viewed as broad guides to action, policies are never formally adopted, merely understood. Procedures on the other hand, are quicker to be adopted in order to make the process of action quicker. Everything from dealing with employees, customers to the process of manufacturing should be examined. Essentially these are a large part of the goals of the organization and the strategic plan for obtaining and using resources to achieve goals more effectively.
It is vitally important to have a policy and procedure manual for your workplace as it does increase confidence, internally and externally, and helps in other ways such as responding to transgressions. So how do you go about writing a policy and procedures guide for your organization? Like any good plan of action, you begin at the beginning:
You will want to include a mission statement that outlines the organization's philosophies. While you are at it draw up a code of ethics, as the best organizations have these, make it a useful document that employees can sign as oath that they will live up to.
In general most policy and procedure manuals have a general description of the organization, including the management team, the levels and responsibilities of each position within your organization. Job descriptions are helpful and necessary here. You'll want to include paid holidays (or not) and rates of pay (or not) and general guidelines for treatment of positions and employees. These are dictated by both your local Labour Board and and Government, and therefore a bit of homework into rates of pay, statutory holidays and so on must be made. This is just good business practice as adherence to both federal and provincial laws is mandatory.
Next, depending on the type of work that you do, you may also want to include a code of conduct, a confidentiality agreement and a contravention section within the policy guidelines. These are for employees but also for the organization to use when required. Contravention is only when agreements have been broken and a general statement regarding disciplinary warnings, and when ultimate dismissal should apply. You may want to include such areas as Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), or Safety Principals and Ergonomic endeavors in your workplace, Fire Exit routes within your workplace, andany sexual harassment policy directives. Most of these are applicable to most workplaces and therefore, should be addressed.
The best part of any policy and procedure manual is the actual description of functions, or the procedures portion. It is here that you get into the nitty-gritty of your business and ultimately lay-out for both you, and your employees onhow the nuts and bolts of your organization operates. Often you are best to break it down into departments, or sections to create a clearly understood operation.
Most organizations include a section for the storage of records, including how records are to be stored (alphabetically, numerically, by group subjects, etc.). Approximately what time the organization may release annual report information and samples of news releases, memos and outgoing letters, all the things that may apply to external communications and your organization.
Your policy and procedure manual may include all or none of these things, the choice is really yours to decide as your policy and procedure manual is a reflection of your business. It may be as mundane as how to handle employees who are consistently late, or incorporate proper procedures for all of the above. Have fun with it, make it your own and in the end, the reflection of your business that is your policy and procedure manual will make you and your business a success.
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It’s a great topic especially when it comes to going green and saving our planet. We all have a role to play and we are happy about the fact that we are into it.
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Regards,
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