MightyRecruiterEmployment Policies: Bring Your Company Compliance Up to Speed
Success in the workplace starts with content employees. As the manager or owner of a company, you have a responsibility to take a look at employment policies to ensure company compliance with happy working professionals. There are five keys in getting there. Consider the following:
1.Documentation ï If you don’t know what’s going on in the workplace, you can’t very well improve compliance. Set your company a baseline to work from by documenting what currently exists in the way of employment policies. This will give you an accurate portrayal to work from. Consider speaking to your employees to see what they understand about policies in the workplace and what their rights are. Part of your documentation might include statements from employees, written notes about undocumented policies and written policies that have yet to be formally included in a handbook or other official document.
2.The Handbook ï Whether you do it on your own or collectively with the management team, take a look at your employee handbook. Chances are if you haven’t read through it recently, there are some changes that will need to be made. The handbook is a protection for you and your staff, but if it isn’t up to date it can backfire. In the handbook, you should find useful information such as benefits, rules, procedures, rights and compensation as they relate to your employees.
Something to keep in mind is that laws change. Employment policies change. The way your workplace functions will change. Don’t get caught up sticking to old policies that are outlined in the handbook if they do not apply to your current laws or procedures. Have a lawyer look over the legal portion to make sure minimum wage levels and other matters of legality are up to date. Make sure to include language that does not promise benefits or employment. Also take a look at what promises are made and whether or not you want to keep them. For example, do you promise to inform your employees in writing when there is a benefit change This is something you could get sued over if you don’t follow through, so be sure you, your management and your employees understand responsibilities going both ways.
3.Personal Information ï Every company needs a file security policy. Identity theft is always on the rise and companies need to protect their employees’ personal information now more than ever. In some states, it’s not just a good recommendation, but is actually the law. Make sure you understand the laws you are compelled under so you properly store information that is not yours to make public. Perhaps the best way to do this is with the help of an attorney. An attorney can either review your file security policy or even help you create it, making sure all the laws and regulations are followed correctly.
4.Automation ï Something that many businesses may not realize is that they need to identify weak internal controls and remedy the problem. Automation is a great way to do that, which eliminates possible loss of documents, as well as human error. Begin by implementing the controls, test them and verify if they are valid. If the process improves workflow, launch it. If not, head back to the drawing board to determine how to make it better. This can help you retain or destroy documents, depending on their validity in making the workplace flow more effectively. As you do this, new employment policies may come to light and others may be improved upon.
5.Employment Postings ï Employers are required by law to post Federal employment posters. While you may think your work is done after they’re posted, think again! It is up to you to make sure they remain current. Set aside a time each week to review the posters and make sure they are updated. As a small business, your posting requirements are different than if you have a large company. Review your requirements with the Department of Labor (DOL) to ensure you are always in compliance with the law.
Some typical topics covered with these posters include Equal Employment Opportunity, Employee Polygraph Protection Act, Workplace Safety and a variety of others. If you are a Federal contractor, you have even more posting requirements, so make sure to check with the state DOL to determine those.
Make Your Employees a Priority
As you implement better practices to improve employment policies, chances are your staff and other workplace professionals will be more compliant. Knowledge is power, and it is up to you to make your employees a priority by empowering them with what they’ll need to be successful. Check out some other tools and articles on Mighty Recruiter for more tips on bettering your business.