By Tracey Archer
In part one of the HR compliance series I discussed employment contracts, the importance of having a written contract and clauses outside of the Fair Work Act that may be relevant for your business. Equally important is ensuring all staff understand their responsibilities and company processes by way of policies.
Think your business is too small to have documented policies? Ask yourself – how many times do your employees ask you if they can take time off? Even if you have only two employees, it could be in excess of six times a year! Or maybe they are late to work, who do they notify and how? Further what are the consequences?
Similar to employment contracts policies should be tailored for the industry in which they are applicable. For the Home Staging industry, you’d need details around company cars and what staff are liable for should they have an accident, also mandatory policies such as Bullying and Harassment, Grievance Procedures and Rehabilitation and Return to Work, just to name a few.
Your time is important, spend it on developing your business and exceeding client expectations, rather than making a fresh decision every time an employee asks a question or you are faced with a challenge. Key is setting the ground work early, getting compliance right and ensuing consistency across your team.
