By Adam Bajan

Each and every workplace is unique. They have their own brand of personalities and expectations, and, of course, their own set of policies. Policies are set in place for a reason; they protect the company from lawsuits and align staff with company procedures. Put another way, policies are a set of rules defining what is expected and allowed in a workplace—and what is not.

While some policies such as those in the human rights category are mandated by the provincial and federal governments and extend throughout the country, the vast majority of policies are limited to their workplace of origin. This usually doesn’t include workplace health and safety or bullying and harassment, as these policies in particular are government mandated, but it does include policies pertaining to email and mobile phone use, inclement weather, attendance, etc…

It is the responsibility of HR management to ensure that all employees are knowledgeable or at least familiar with company policy. This is why during the onboarding process, new hires are given policy handouts and forms to sign so that they can demonstrate that they understand what is expected of them.

Of course, there are exceptions.

Salaried employees are typically viewed in a different light than those earning an hourly wage. A classic example of this relates to company policies regarding personal leave time and vacation. Because of the nature of their work, salaried employees are typically offered perks and incentives by way of paid leave time or a set number of sick days. This helps to ensure a productive workforce.

This differentiation is a prime example of one of the most important aspects of drafting workplace policies—scope. For instance, once you’ve identified the purpose of a policy and put in place the legal framework surrounding it, the scope of the policy must be made clear to all to whom it applies. This is done in the interests of fairness, but fairness doesn’t always mean that everyone is included in the policy. Management is often exempt from policies that apply to lower-tiered employees.

However, from a human resources perspective, having some employees bound by policy—and others not—can create an imbalance in the workplace that can cause resentment if employees do not understand why. This can snowball into conflict which has a drastic effect on company output. For this reason, if some employees are to be exempt from some company policies, communicating this and making it widely known and understood is the correct procedure for ensuring a harmonious workforce.

Lastly, policies don’t always have to be set in stone. A good company evolves its HR practices and this includes altering or updating company policies. If employees are constantly coming in late, rather than relying on disciplinary measures consider discussing the implementation of a flex-time policy. Similarly, if some employees are not abiding by the dress code, then it may be time to update the dress code for everyone.

The name of the game is communication. So get talking!

Adam Bajan is a digital brand experience assistant at Ashton College, a post-secondary college in Vancouver. Founded in 1998, Ashton College has become a national and international force in the field of higher education. Ashton’s Diploma in Human Resources Management program prepares students for the National Knowledge Exam and to become a candidate for the CHRP.