Membership Spotlight - POLICY PROTEC

The sole focus of POLICY PROTEC is providing organizations with valid, comprehensive policies and other compliance resources. I founded the company in 2018, because the regulatory environment is a minefield for employers. From human rights, to employment standards, to OHS, to privacy, and more—there are endless requirements and risks facing organizations.

How to Write a Company Policy

Writing policies for your organization? Here are some tips to get you on your way.

1.     Don’t copy and paste from the Internet. Well, first, it violates the author’s copyright. But more importantly, when you copy and paste you really don’t know if the policy you create is valid and correct for your province, industry, and organization.

2.     Keep it short. Policies aren’t read, they are referred to—in a hurry, by busy people, at work. Make it easy for them to get the information they need. Avoid long paragraphs. See Tip #3.

3.     All you really need in most policies are four things: (a) the policy statement, (b) to whom the policy applies, (c) the commitments you make as an organization to bring the policy to life, and (d) the expectations you have of employees. That’s it. Add other content only if you must. Move procedures to their own manual.

4.     Remember what Yoda told Luke: "Do or do not. There is no 'try'." In a policy statement, it is not good enough to just try. For example, don’t do this: "XYZ Corporation is committed to taking steps to try to minimize workplace violence, if at all possible . . ." Rather, write: "XYZ Corporation prohibits all forms of violence in its workplaces." Full stop. Next.

5.     Not CYA, but SYK. A policy is not a defensive document. Tell people "We have these policies not to cover our backsides, but So You Know.” So you know what we stand for. So you know how we operate. So you know what is expected of you.

I hope these tips help you. Contact me if you would like feedback on your policies or help with your organization’s compliance strategy.

Murray Whitby, CPHR
President
POLICY PROTEC
587-372-7777