A Closer Look...

Purpose of corporate policy

Corporate policy, not to be confused with procedures or work rules, varies considerably as to how it is handled by organizations. Policies are intended to help management and employees make intelligent decisions – decisions consistent with those policies. They provide a basis for HR management practices and a framework within which these practices are established.

The meaning of policies is not standardized. In large organizations, policies may be documented and assembled in an employee manual. Such written policies become the basis for consistent conduct. In a small organization, policies guiding conduct are often “in mind” or are considered an unwritten code of conduct. Policies in small organizations are transmitted through observations or word of mouth.

Should you publish policy?

In determining whether or not to publish a policy, an organization should realistically answer the question “Do we intend to adhere to this policy?” If the answer is no, the policy should not be published. Keep in mind, a written policy provides credibility only if it is backed up by deeds.

We can help explore the benefits to publishing policy and how to manage the policies once published. For those organizations that publish policies, we can audit those policies to ensure that they conform to applicable statutes.

Our specific services

We can:

• Help to determine whether to publish policies
• Audit published policies for conformity to applicable statutes
• Design and write policy for the organization