On a regular basis, you should make sure that policies essential for corporate compliance are in place. Corporate compliance ensures that the company and its employees follow all relevant regulations, laws, standards, and ethical practices, both in company policies and in U.S. and state laws.
The ultimate goal of corporate compliance is two-fold. First, it enhances employee performance by making sure that they know laws, regulations, policies, and practices and it enhances retention by making sure operations flow smoothly. Second, corporate compliance diminishes your company’s risk.
All these policies should be available in a corporate handbook or other transparently available policies.
The risk of managers violating a policy, or of employees filing a complaint or other action alleging violations of regulations, laws, standards, and ethical practices is minimized.
Corporate compliance should cover the following policies:
Onboarding Procedures
Onboarding procedures should cover expectations for new employees, hours of employment, what forms and paperwork are required, and information about performance expectations and annual reviews, if relevant. Your goal is to set fair and consistent standards and policies.
Paid Time Off Policy
You need to spell out the paid time off policy, including any specific days the company is closed for holidays, when and how vacation is accrued, and personal day policy if relevant. Maternity and family leave should also be discussed.
Progressive Discipline Policy
All companies need to have progressive discipline policies. These can be performance-related, such as the expectation of a performance plan for improvement if performance is lacking, along with a time frame and the possibility of termination if performance does not improve. Your company may also want to set up progressive discipline for behavioral issues, such as chronic lateness or inappropriate behavior, as well.
Sexual Harassment Policy
Sexual harassment is any unwanted behavior of a sexual nature, including verbal or physical behavior or images, that makes the recipient uncomfortable. Set forth clearly what sexual harassment is, penalties for sexual harassment, and who to go to/what to do if an employee is being sexually harassed.
Harassment Policies
It’s important to specify that harassment can occur for a number of reasons. Sexual harassment is much in the news, but people can also be harassed on the basis of ethnic group, race, color, nationality, age, ability/disability status, and gender. The common element is that unwanted behavior makes the recipient uncomfortable. The behavior can include, but it not limited to, jokes, name-calling, slurs, ridicule, intimidation, insults, offensive images, and physical assaults or threats. Make these facts clear, and stress that all employees should treat each other with dignity and respect.
Safety Policies
Your workplace needs to be consistent with safety standards set by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and any relevant state body charged with health and safety. If your workplace requires safety equipment and practices, specify what these are, and post these around the workplace.
Drug and Alcohol Policy
State your company’s drug and alcohol policy. If you are an employer that tests employees periodically, make that clear. If a current issue, such as the legalization of medical marijuana, may need to be clarified for employees, do so officially.
Let Barracuda Staffing & Consulting Assist You in Corporate Compliance
The seasoned human resource consultants at Barracuda Staffing & Consulting can help you perform a review of your corporate compliance, to make sure that your policies and procedures are comprehensive and up to date.
Make sure your employers are clearly informed of policies and protect your company from risk. If you need more information, contact our leading HR consultants today.