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Common Workplace Policies

Every workplace has its policies and procedures that enable the company to run smoothly and maintain compliance with local business laws. These documents enable anyone who comes into contact with the company to understand its inner workings and how certain events should be carried out. Some common workplace policies are used by many different companies.

Health workplace policies

Some of the most important of these policies might be seen as those that pertain to an employee’s health and safety during their employment. Without these policies, and them being followed, an individual may be more likely to receive an injury due to poor conditions or a lack of education regarding keeping themselves safe. For example, questions such as whether you can, in fact, sue for lung cancer may rely partly on whether there is a policy in place regarding protective uniforms at work, such as dust masks. These policies protect the employee from harm, but can also potentially protect the company from recourse. 

These occupational safety and health policies can encompass several subjects, such as fire, first aid, injuries, uniform, or protective wear. Each should have its own title and section, and be able to be accessed at any time by anyone working within the company, as well as governing bodies who may preside over the company in legal or business matters. 

Policies are important

Many employees may take these items for granted, rather than appreciating how much they can benefit those at the company. While they may be seen as tedious piles of paperwork to be read when commencing employment, or after annual updates, these documents are incredibly vital. Alongside workplace training, these contain the pieces of information that keep people safe daily. 

Policies need to be updated yearly, at the very least. These will require amendments relating to any new laws, or those that have been altered. A policy needs to be dated and contain the signature of a manager or someone with status within the company. 

These documents do not just relate to safety. Other policies are crucial to ensure that all members of staff are treated fairly and with dignity. Policies regarding disciplinary measures, holiday, and sickness entitlements, and even the recruitment process, should be viewable at all times. 

Posting policies for employees

However, this does mean there are no excuses for exhibiting behavior that goes against any policies or procedures. So long as a company can prove that these documents have been signposted to their employees, they may not be held accountable for any actions on the employee’s part that result in injury or potential loss of employment.

Reading and following these policies can drastically improve your capabilities within your workplace and aid your company in following and maintaining legal compliance procedures. These same policies will also help you ensure that you, or your co-workers, are receiving fair treatment and are not subject to discriminatory or unsafe working practices. These common workplace policies are beneficial to both the employee and the company.

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