Policies are principles, rules and guidelines formulated and adopted by an organisation to reach its long-term goals. Procedures are the steps that will be followed to implement policies. Together, policies and procedures ensure that an organisation is effectively managed in order to be sustainable and profitable.

Every company needs policies and procedures in order to operate efficiently, to avoid employee confusion and to adhere to legal and regulatory guidelines. HR Policies familiarize new employees with company rules. It also helps answer the most basic questions about the workplace while making new employees aware of company expectations.

Policies and procedures need to be concise, clear and to the point so that it can be effectively implemented. Even the smallest organisations must have clear and concise HR polices to run efficiently.

Without policies, some employees will take advantage of the company, hurting morale and causing time-consuming problems. Poorly written policies can lead to serious legal implications.

The nature of the organisation will determine the specific need for policies and procedures (e.g. smaller organisations may require fewer policies).

Examples of policies that your organisation might need are listed below:

  1. Absenteeism policy
  2. Bursary policy
  3. Code of conduct
  4. Code of good practice
  5. Company loans policy
  6. Confidentiality policy
  7. Company car policy
  8. Corporate gifts policy
  9. Disciplinary code
  10. Dress code
  11. Employment Equity and affirmative action policy
  12. Exit interview policy
  13. Fixed assets policy – cell phones, computers, lap tops
  14. Grievance procedure
  15. Health & safety policy
  16. HIV/Aids policy
  17. Induction policy
  18. Leave policy
  19. Performance management policy
  20. Policy on bullying and sexual harassment
  21. Policy on company benefits (e.g. medical aid, provident/pension fund, petrol card, company car etc.).
  22. Policy on drug and substance abuse
  23. Policy on entertainment expenses
  24. Policy on filing and mailing of documents
  25. Policy on long service recognition
  26. Policy on the development of human resources policies
  27. Policy on travel expenses
  28. Promotion policy
  29. Racial discrimination policy
  30. Recruitment and selection policy
  31. Remuneration and performance management policy
  32. Retrenchment policy
  33. Security policy
  34. Smoking policy
  35. Staff loan policy
  36. Termination of employment policy
  37. Training and development policy
  38. Use of information technology (IT) and electronic media policy
  39. Use of telephone policy

Contact us on info@beyondconsulting.co.za should you need assistance with updating your HR Manual or if you need to develop your HR policies & procedures from scratch.