The best-written human resource management (HRM) policy doesn’t do an organization any good if it just sits in a dusty binder on a shelf. HRM policies need guide the organization by supporting their mission, values, strategic direction, and operations. They also need to be kept up to date and should reflect changes in:
- Legislation
- Employee expectations
- Current and Relevant HR practices
The Client’s Need
Our client had a set of HR policies that had not been reviewed for a number of years. They had been making minor updates from time to time, but they wanted a complete review of their HR policies. When conducting a policy review for this and other clients the review includes considering the following:
- Policy gaps and risks of those gaps
- Options to strengthen policies or leverage policy strengths
- Where procedures would assist in the implementation of policies
- Framing policies to support the culture, mission, and vision of the organization
Policy vs. Procedure
Before any discussion on policies and procedures, we ensured our client understood the difference between the two.
Policies
- Identifies the rule, intent, values, and/or organization direction
- Written so that people understand WHY and WHO
- Must be compliant with legislation and standards
- State the intent
Procedures
- How to implement the rule, intent, values and/or organization direction
- Written so what needs to be done can easily be followed
- Must be compliant with legislation and standards
- Puts a policy into action
- More detailed than policies
Not all policies need procedures. Having procedures had to be balanced with having a practical level of polices and procedures.
Legislation
Identifying whether the organization was governed by Federal or Provincial labor laws was an important step. If the organization is governed by Provincial legislation, all policies have to be in compliance with both The Saskatchewan Employment Act and The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations as well as Saskatchewan Employment Standards and other legislation and regulations related to the policy.
Employee Expectations
Employees often want to see policies covering their key areas of concern. These include:
- Information Collection & Employee Privacy including Employee Image Capturing
- Conditions of employment including hours of work and overtime
- Leaves both paid and unpaid
- Safe workplace including policies around harassment, violence, and fit for work
We reviewed our client’s policies covering these areas and discussed specific recommendations with them.
Staying Current & Relevant and Policy Considerations
During this project, we identified policy gaps for our client. These were sorted into higher risk, medium risk, and lower risk. We identified places where language needed to be updated and places where existing policies needed clarification. We identified several areas for consideration. If you are reviewing your policies we recommend reviewing policies around:
- Safe work place – considering that the workplace may also be off-site.
- Working remotely or from home
- Employee information and privacy of such
- Use of Employer Technology
Kn/a HR associates have written several blogs on relevant issues that are affecting current policies. Have you considered Bringing a Fit for Work Policy to Life? What about How to Make Working from Home Work for You? Is A Change in Pronouns and Gender Identity relevant to your organization?
If you have questions about your organization’s policies, or would like to discuss a policy review with us, please email us at info@knahr.ca or call 1.844.842.4949. We’d love to hear from you.