How to Set HR Policies for Success

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Does your small business have clear HR policies established?

Whether you’re just starting up or have been established for several years, staying on top of best practices for human resources is one of the most important ways to ensure the safety and security of your company or organization in the future. Policies provide clear, unmistakable guidelines for everyone to abide by, regardless of their position. Without rules and standards being established, you’ll often begin to see confusion and frustration among employees, as well as put your organization at risk for potential conflict, complaints or lawsuits down the line.

As one of Vancouver’s most trusted HR consultancies, Pivot HR is passionate about making sure that small businesses, as well as organizations, are set up for success. Below, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most important policies you need to establish ASAP to ensure your team is covered when it matters most. Read on to learn more!

Health & Safety

Protecting the health and safety of your workers is one of the essential policies that every company and organization needs to prioritize. Whether you handle dangerous materials or want to have set guidelines regarding your standards about coming into the office sick, making sure you have something in writing is essential to avoid any significant issues resulting from workplace injuries and illnesses.

Bullying, Harassment, and Discrimination

It’s no secret that discrimination, bullying, and harassment pose a significant threat to your workplace, and it’s essential to have a clear policy in place for regulating any behaviours that could be considered as such. As an employer, you can be held responsible for acts of discrimination or harassment that occur within your organization, and failure to be proactive on these kinds of matters puts you at risk.

If you don’t already have a policy in place, it is strongly recommended to immediately prioritize formalizing your standards as to what constitutes bullying, sexual harassment, discrimination and any other form of inappropriate behaviour at work. A good policy will also outline procedures for dealing with complaints (more on that below).

Code of Conduct (Both Employee and Employer)

A code of conduct gives your employees clarity with regards to what is expected of them in their role, as well as a member of the company or organization as a whole. Conduct policies can outline a number of things including your approach to punctuality, reviews, wage increases, appropriate attire, mobile phone usage, and more.

Grievance Policy

As much as we try to foster positive work environments, it’s inevitable that eventually, conflict will occur. Having a grievance policy in place will give employees, as well as managers and owners, a clear plan when it comes to dealing with issues and creating a safe, fair environment for everyone.

Disciplinary Measures

Employees need to know what’s expected of them, but they also need to know what happens when they step outside the boundaries you’ve established. Having standards in place will not only help to encourage compliance, but will also give you a valuable resource to refer to if, and when, performance issues occur.

Leave Policy

From bereavement to maternity and/or paternity leave, it’s inevitable that your employees will have to take some time away from the workplace. You need to ensure that this kind of policy is not only in compliance with any provincial and federal guidelines, but that you have specific caveats in place to ensure that the transition to and from work is as smooth as possible for everyone involved.

Build a New Path Forward

If you’re ready to make sure your business or organization has all the right details in place to set yourself up for success in the future, Pivot HR is here to help! We know that navigating HR on your own can often feel overwhelming, and with changing rules and guidelines, it’s best to have a qualified team of professionals on your side. Partnering with us makes managing your HR matters simple, approachable, and alleviates stress for the whole team.

Learn how we can help guide your policy development by contacting us today!

What Our Clients say about us

“Robin and Mia were both exceptionally professional and responsive and understood our needs. Their work was of great quality. We are a small non-profit organization and we found them very easy and wonderful to work with. Great value and highly recommend.”

~ Joy Masuhara , Co-Chair Women Transforming Cities International Society

“Cindy is a remarkable professional coach, who goes well beyond expectations in supporting her clients’ development. She knows how to ask the right questions and uncover the real and deep issues that contribute to the limitations we put on ourselves. This type of personal exploration is tough work to do alone and remain committed to necessary change. Cindy’s approach and support made this process one of the most impactful experiences of my life, professionally and personally.”

~ Monique Cotton, Firm Administrator, JFK Law Corporation

“As a medium size business with over 100 employees working in very different areas of our operation, Pivot was able to quickly understand our HR needs and offer practical solutions. Robin and the Pivot team worked closely with our Leadership group to implement effective turnkey solutions on time and on budget. We will continue to use Pivot for our ongoing HR needs and would highly recommend their services.”

~ Adam Zubek, General Manager, Point Grey Golf & Country Club

Pivot HR Services provides personalized solutions for our organization’s human resources needs. By engaging their services, we have been able to successfully outsource our HR function, as the Pivot team has demonstrated their ability to understand the HR priorities of our workplace culture and industry.

~ Areef Abraham, Chief Executive Officer Community Power

“Robin developed our employee policy manual with the goal of engaging and retaining our current staff as well as attracting new ones in this highly competitive marketplace. Her in depth knowledge of current legislation and HR policies proved to be of significant benefit. I would highly recommend Robin and the team at Pivot HR Services.”

~ Christopher Soles, President, Nextgen Technologies Ltd.

“Robin has been and continues to be an outstanding resource for our organization to navigate HR issues as we grow. She always approaches problems with professionalism and a keen eye for our best interest. I’d certainly recommend Robin to anyone looking to elevate their HR processes.”

~ Karim Abraham, CEO, Kambo Energy Solutions

“Our firm turned to Robin for advice and guidance at a time when we faced a period of serious difficulty in managing our human resources. She assisted us through the process of putting our relationship with our staff on a stronger, more stable footing and helped us implement a complete overhaul of our human resources policies. We could not be more pleased with the work she has done and continues to do with us.”

~ Robert Janes, QC, Managing Principal JFK Law Corporation

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