Are you a Business Owner? 4 Examples of Employee Policies that you Should Consider

As an employment condition, all employees should attest that they have read and understood the workplace policy and procedure manual. Following are a few samples of employee policies:

Harassment

Policies on employee harassment help create a respectful and cooperative workplace. These policies are meant to prohibit harassment behavior between supervisors, co-workers, contractors, and managers. Examples of harassing behavior that can violate the policy and procedure manual include negative stereotyping, offensive jokes, inappropriate physical conduct, inappropriate nonverbal conduct, and distribution of offensive images. Policies that prohibit harassment support equal opportunities and prohibit discrimination by gender, race, pregnancy, disability, religion, or any other characteristics or classes protected by law.

Attendance

The employee attendance rules allow the employers to communicate their expectations in adherence to work schedules. These policies emphasize the importance of attending to work schedules regularly and the consequences of not adhering to the schedule. The attendance policies also lay out how to report absences. For instance, these laws explain which number to contact in case an employee is late or won’t go to work. The policy also communicates the number of absences an employee has before an employer corrects the behavior.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Employers should have drug and alcohol-free policies that prohibit alcohol and drug usage while working. As an employer, you can tailor your policy and procedure manual to meet the needs of your organization. The policies should include why you have implemented the program. For example, you can implement such a policy for employee well-being. In the policy describe the prohibited behavior, for instance, the possession, use, or sale of illegal drugs. Drug-free workplace policies include the consequences for not complying, for instance, termination in case an employee is caught with alcohol or drugs while at work.

Electronic Communications

Today businesses use electronic communication for efficient interactions. An electronic communications policy and procedure manual are meant to govern using email, the internet, telephones, phones, personal media devices, and fax machines. Such policies ensure that employees use technology only for business purposes and also include prohibited websites and how employers can monitor electronic communications.