Corporate policies and procedures (2024)

Equal opportunity and non-discrimination policies

Again, you might lump these into one corporate policy, as they all address nuanced versions of inclusion. Or you can create a separate company policy for each area.

Regardless of your corporate policy structure, spell out how you comply with the law. Most countries mandate being an equal opportunity employer.

In the U.S., theEqual Employment Opportunity Commissionwill enforce laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. These laws are designed to promote equal opportunity in the workplace – fair treatment regardless of your background.

But you should do more than just follow the letter of the law. You should strive to foster a workplace that values individuals for who they are.

Besides creating an inclusive work environment, your business benefits as well. In fact,research showsthat “companies with more diverse top teams were also top financial performers.” An inclusive workforce also allows you to tap into a larger pool of candidates when hiring.

Diversity helps to offer a variety of perspectives andboosts group decision-making.

You might consider establishing a company policy that goes beyond federal law requirements. Your corporate policies speak volumes about your company’s values, so it pays to outline your stance on diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

The key is to create a policy that welcomes people of all backgrounds. Employees want to feel comfortable in their own skin at work without fear of judgment.

A soliddiversity training programcan go a long way in teaching cultural awareness and explaining how to treat people of different backgrounds respectfully.

Workplace safety

You want your employees to feel safe while doing their jobs. Look to relevant local, state, and federal laws to guide your workplace safety policies and procedures.

Thus, should outline what safe workplace behavior looks like, how to maintain a safe work environment, how to use safety equipment, and what to do in an emergency.

For example, you might require workers to immediately report on-the-job accidents and injuries. Depending on your business and industry, you might need to follow Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) regulations, especially if certain workplace hazards exist at your company.

Alcohol, drug-free workplace, smoking, cannabis policies

Another common corporate policy to have prohibits substances such as alcohol, drugs, and tobacco products. Some companies don’t allow them onsite at all, during business hours, or even during business events.

How will you treat employees who smoke or vape? Will you designate a completely smoke-free workplace (including the exterior grounds) or implement a no-smoking policy only inside your building?

What will your company policy be if you’re in a state where marijuana is now legal? How will you handle incidents involving alcohol at company functions? These are all questions your company policy should address.

Whistleblower policy

When employees see wrongdoing within your company (such as stealing, lying, or fraud), they should be able to report it without getting in trouble. How will your business handle this whistleblower?

According to theSociety for Human Resource Management (SHRM), “whistleblower protections are provided in two important areas – confidentiality and against retaliation.”

The whistleblower policy should outline the steps employees should take to report such an incident and the appropriate person in management employees should tell.

Employees should be able to share this information in a confidential setting and, if possible, without their identity being disclosed to other parties. Whistleblowers should also know that your company will not retaliate against them (i.e., demote them, fire them, cut their pay) if they bring to light any company wrongdoing.

Anti-harassment policy

Workplace harassment shouldn’t be ignored, as it creates an unsafe and unproductive work environment. Plus, it puts your business at risk of legal actions and scandals that could ruin your hard-won reputation.

Having a company policy in place sets the tone for employees that you won’t tolerate harassment in your organization.

It should outline both appropriate and inappropriate behavior and clearly explain the ramifications of not adhering to your policy.

Again, a goodtraining programgoes a long way in communicating how to handle this delicate topic in a way that fosters a professional, respectful work environment.

Privacy policy

Employees deserve a right to privacy, but this can be a tricky issue, especially where technology is concerned.

Your privacy policy should address how you collect, store, and disclose personal information such as employees’ names, home addresses, and social security numbers.

It might also cover your employees’ right to privacy in voicemail messages and phone conversations, as well as their personal items such as a briefcase, backpack, or purse. Using technology at work, however, is another story.

Company emails and internet usage, for example, might be monitored.

Cybersecurity policy

Employees sometimes introduce risks and vulnerabilities into your company, often unintentionally.

But when you create acybersecurity policy, you’ll equip them with the knowledge they need to help reduce the risks introduced by human error. Outline policies and procedures that address common issues such as phishing attacks, insufficient password security, and poor access controls around sensitive information.

Acceptable use policy

To ensure your employees (and visitors) don’t misuse company computers or the internet, you need an up-to-dateacceptable use policy(AUP).

It should outline how people can use a website, network, or internet service.

For example, it might prohibit uploading or downloading certain types of files, or harassing others via company email, or leaking insider information.

Social media policy

Employees might want to share their workday moments on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

But should they?

Your policy should address whether your company prohibits accessing social media during work hours as well as what company information employees should and should not share online.

Bring your own device (BYOD) policy

Between cell phones, tablets, computers, and other electronic devices, our wired world means employees might bring their own device to work.

By creating abring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy, you provide ground rules for how and when employees can use their own technology to conduct company business and access company information.

Disciplinary action

What happens when employees break a rule or disregard a policy? A disciplinary policy should clearly outline what circ*mstances warrant an employee being disciplined (such as lying, safety issues or misconduct) as well as what disciplinary actions will be taken.

Creating a standardized process for handling employee problems provides you with a consistent approach for handling both serious and minor offenses. It also communicates to employees what your company will and will not tolerate.

You might need to seek legal advice to ensure your disciplinary policies and procedures are fair, appropriate, and legal.