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6 HR Policies and Procedures You Need to Know

6 HR Policies and Procedures You Need to Know

Set Motamedi

February 23, 2023

Working to establish human resources policies across small- and mid-sized brands can be complex. Your staff is the most important company resource you have — which is why the importance of people-centered policies and innovative processes can’t be understated. 

Keeping clarity, efficiency, and humanity at the core of every HR execution is key to keeping your company culture present and thriving — which is where having standardized HR policies and procedures can help. 

Read on to learn more about the basic HR policies and procedures you shouldn’t miss as a small- to mid-sized business. 

1. Anti-discrimination HR policies and procedures

Discrimination can happen within any workplace at any time. Having policies in

place to clearly define what constitutes discriminatory practices (and

preemptively protect employees) is essential to the smooth functioning of your

small- to mid-sized business. It is legally the duty of the human resources

sector of the business to protect all team members, so taking a comprehensive

and nuanced approach is a best practice for HR policies and procedures. 


Areas of focus to consider in these specific HR policies and procedures may

include: 


  • Ongoing protection of legally protected classes: Team members must not be

    discriminated against within any protected designation, such as disability,

    parental, national, pregnancy-related, or age-related statuses. They may

    also not be discriminated against if they have a specific sexual orientation

    or religious affiliation. 

  • Procedures for reporting violations: If discrimination does occur, HR must

    have a route to take for further action and disciplinary resolution. This

    process must be clearly communicated to employees and ought to be documented

    for total transparency across your organization. 

  • Continuous training to prevent violations: HR can collaborate with admin and

    operations members to facilitate ongoing training to prevent discrimination

    or violations before they occur. This can help to educate team members and

    promote a more team-forward workplace culture overall. 



2. Recruitment: basic HR policies and procedures

Recruitment and talent retention is a core area of focus across HR

departments. That’s why establishing an HR policies and procedures manual can

be helpful in navigating any new employee onboarding processes as you grow and

scale. This can include coverage for different elements of program growth,

including any relevant employee referral benefits, subsequent programs, or

retention initiatives. 




3. Termination of employment best practices

Establishing a clear and employee-forward termination policy helps to instill

confidence and competence across your organization. Termination doesn’t just

include the actual process of team member removal — rather, it also

encompasses the complaint escalation process, clauses that would make a team

member eligible for termination (such as in a disciplinary situation). 


4. Employee referral program policies

Employee referral policies can offer many benefits to your team members and

prospects. Beyond keeping your members as engaged as possible, it can also

connect you to high-performing talent for half of your cost and time spent.

Having HR policies and procedures around this process ensures that you walk

away with a candidate that’s a strong cultural fit and that all related

processes remain as compliant as possible. 




5. Sexual harassment HR policies and procedures

Sexual harassment is a serious issue in the modern-day workplace. However,

transparent and clear policies can correct problems before they begin. Beyond

addressing inappropriate behavior, sexual harassment policies can also empower

those who have been victims — offering them a trustworthy reporting

process and sufficient recourse to have a safe work experience. These policies

also mitigate legal risk to the company, which can save significant costs in

the event of a complaint. Harassment policies can be a matter of compliance as

well, as many businesses are often required to have these basic HR policies

and procedures in place by local and state governments. Taking the step to

establish this early on better protects your company and supports a more

inclusive and effective workplace culture. 




6. Use of company property

Over the course of employment, your team will likely need to work on company

devices and property. This can extend to computers, cell phones, printers, and

other technology — all of which need a protective process to route back to the

company at the termination of their employment. Having a section covering this

in the HR policies and procedures manual can be helpful to walk employees

through every step needed for tech management, organization, and return, and a

path of recourse if and when maintenance is required. This preventative step

can help you to maintain a greater degree of compliance at the end of the year

or before a routine HR compliance audit; whichever comes first. 




Outsource creation and management of HR policies and procedures

Looking to save time in your HR management steps? Connect with the team at

Bambee

today. You can work with a dedicated HR expert to hand off your small business

HR tasks for just $99 per month. We look forward to supporting you!