Policy and Procedure as Granny would understand it

Welcome to this week’s Discuss HR, the HR blog written for and by members of Human Resources UK.

Today we welcome back our regular writer Jill hart-Sanderson.  Jill is looking at the wonderful world of policies and procedures.  Instead of the logistics and bureaucracy of the process, Jill looks into their real value and asks some interesting questions.  As always, we’d like to know your thoughts.  (Ed Scrivener)

Policy and Procedure as Granny would understand it

More P&P nonsense!

Effective policies and procedures are at the heart of HR, but how often do we take time out to look at them and how they are perceived by an organisation as a whole? I have worked with organisations where the number of employees has ranged from 2 to over 3000 in both the public and private sector, and there are always key factors in how policies and procedures are set up and maintained. It is easy (especially in larger organisations) to become bogged down in the complexities of policies and procedures that have evolved over time. They may seem laborious and unnecessary but they are usually there for a good reason.

Firstly, what do we mean by ‘policy’ and ‘procedure’ and what are the differences? A Policy leaves room for discretion and describes what is to be accomplished whereas Procedure is how this is done. Generally on organisation’s policies are formed at a high strategic level and procedures at a lower level once a policy has been defined. For example a policy for ensuring the safety of employees will use a collection of procedures to ensure this is achieved.

So why have them? If you went into the street and asked Joe Public why organisations have HR policies and procedures I’m sure the majority would say ‘to comply with employment law’. However the reason why the laws themselves exist is to ensure fairness, consistency, and safety within the workplace - which surely should be the aim of all organisations. The Laws exist as a procedure to ensure this happens.

Another sometimes forgotten element of ‘policy and procedure’ is the opportunity to embed the organisation’s values, goals and aims. Policies can be used to clearly communicate to employees and the wider community exactly what they believe in and value, and procedures can demonstrate how this is put into practice.

Most of us are familiar with the usual basic questions that are asked when policies and procedures are set up or reviewed:

• is it legal?
• is it fair to the organisation, individual and person(s) responsible for implementing it?
• are the aims and timescales realistic?
• is it consistent with other policies/procedures?
• is it consistent with contracts and terms of employment?
• are there any exceptions and do they need to be defined?
• is it in line with external and internal best practice?
• who needs to be consulted before implementing any change?
• when is it to come into effect?

..but do we always remember the less oblivious checks:

• is it actually policy or procedure?
• is it necessary?
• what will it achieve?
• is it in-line with the organisation’s values, mission and strategic goals?
• have acronyms and jargon been removed/explained?
• is it written as clearly and simply as possible (would my granny understand it?)
• how are changes to be communicated?
• how will it affect the psychological contract?

The last three points are essential considerations to achieve buy-in from the whole organisation and to maintain good employee relations.

I recently came across someone (let’s call him John) who told me that he and his co-workers had been banned from contacting the HR department. John works ‘on the front-line’ for a national company with over 500 employees and reports to a manger who is overseen by an area manager.  John had a disagreement over the number of overtime hours he had been paid for and spoke to his manager. He told John that the hours were correct and that he could not take the matter further. John was also told he was not allowed to contact the company’s HR department and threatened dismissal if they were called.

Celebrating a duvet day!

So how did this situation happen? Perhaps the company have a procedure that states that employees should use a specific reporting line for any disputes (i.e. they should be reported to the worker’s line manager and not HR). Obviously this would prevent the HR department from being inundated with all timesheet queries, but what happens if the manager disagrees or acts inappropriately? Are there any checks in place to ensure the manager is acting fairly, and where is the chance to appeal? The procedure should clearly define what should happen if the employee is still unhappy with their manager’s decision. Maybe it does, but if it has not been clearly communicated and understood by either the manager or John then the procedure might as well not exist in employee relations terms. The organisation may be covered legally if it went to a tribunal, but how is this affecting the workplace on a day-to-day basis?

Amazing things can be achieved with a motivated workforce. When there is a culture of threat combined with a ‘them-and-us’ attitude things start to go wrong. The next time you are looking at a policy or procedure think about how it could enhance working relationships and of course your Gran – what would she think of it?

About the author

Jill is passionate about using creativity to unlock people's potential, finding practical solutions that make a real difference to organisations.  Her extensive management experience in both the public and private sectors combined with HR consultancy has given her a real insight into how great HR can transform individuals and businesses.

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Discuss HR is the blog for Human Resources UK, the leading LinkedIn group for those involved with HR in the UK.  Next week’s Discuss HR will be published on Thursday 12^th July and will be written by experienced HR professional Sheena McLullich. 

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