Human Resource Policies

HUMAN RESOURCE POLICIES

•   Predetermined established guideline towards the attainted of accepted goals

and objectives.

•        Guidelines facilitate properly designed efforts to accomplish the strategic intent.

―A policy is a man-made rule of pre-determined course of action that is established to guide the performance of work toward the organisation objectives. It is a type of standing plan that serves to guide subordinates in the execution of their tasks.

Policy Differentiated from Objectives , Programmes and Procedure

Flippo definition of policy

―is the man made rule of pre determined course of action that is established to guide the performance of work toward the organization objectives.‖Yoder

―A policy is a pre determined, selected course established as a guide towards accepted goals and objectives. They establish the framework of guiding principles that facilitate delegation to lower levels and permit individual managers to select appropriate tactics or programmes.‖

―Personnel Polices are those that individual have developed to keep them on track towards their personnel objectives. ‖

Personnel Polices refer to principles and rules to conduct which “Formulate, redefine, break into details and decide a number of actions ” that govern the relationship with employees in the attainment of organizational objectives.

Personnel Polices are

•         Key stone in the arch of the management

•         Life blood for the successful functioning of the personnel management.

•         Statement of intentions

•         Positive declaration and command to an organization.

Need for a HR Policy

•         Avoid unintended obligations

•         Legal requirements

•         Employment at will, contractual status

•         Defense of claims

•        Helps avoid union organizing

•        Risk management

•        Time saver

Features of a sound HR Policy

•        Definite, positive, clear and easy to understand

•        Written

•        Reasonable stable

•        Supplementary to all other policies of the orgn and the public policy.

Recognition and individual relationship between the mgmt and the employees

•         Based on the facts

•         Provide two way communication

•         Supported by the mgmt, employees and the union

•         Progressive

•         Measurable

•         Uniform for the entire organization

•         Practically applicable

Aims and objective of Personnel polices

•         Enable the orgn to carry out the main objectives

•         Awareness of items in policies and to secure the co operation

•         Sense of unity with the enterprise

•         Provide competent , adequate and trained personnel for all levels and types of management

•         To protect the common interest of all parties

•         Recognize the role trade unions in the organization.

•         Efficient consultative service.

•         Management leadership

•         Delegating the human relations

•         Co operative understanding

•         Security of employment

•         Opportunity for growth

•         Payment of fair and adequate wages

•         To recognize the work and accomplishments

•         To create the sense of responsibility.

Principles of HR policy

•         Right man in the right place

•         Train everyone for the job to be done

•         Make the orgn a coordinated team

•         SS the right tools and right conditions of work

•         Give security with opportunity , incentive , recognition

•         Look ahead, plan head for more and better things.

Types of HR Policies

•        Functional vs centralized policy

–   Functional – Different categories of personnel

–   Centralized – Common throughout the orgn

•         Minor vs Major

– Minor – Relationship in a segment of an organization , with considerable emphasis on details and procedures.

– Major – Overall objectives, procedures and control which affect an organization as whole.

Specific Policies

•         Hiring – factors like reservation , martial status,

•         Terms and conditions – compensation policy , hours of work, overtime , promotion , transfer, etc

•         Medical assistance - sickness benefits

•         Housing, transport, and other allowances.

•         Training and development

•         Industrial relations

Coverage of HR Policies

o Travel Pay

o Work Records

o Temporary & Casual

o Appointments

o Workweek & Pay Periods

o Compensation

o Employee Discipline

o Pay bands

• Pay Advances

 • Voting

 • Worker's Compensation

 • Labor Relations

 • Probation

 • Grievance Procedure

 • Sick Leave

 • Ethical Conduct

 • Sick

• Salary Administration

 • Orientation

• Relocation Pay

 • Vacancies

• Payroll Deductions

 • Employment Offers

• Rates of Pay for New Employees

 • References

• Terminating Employees

 • Interviewing

• Layoff

 • Candidate Testing

• Performance

 • Transfers

• Career Development

 • Consultants and Contractors

• Workshops and Seminars

 • Recruitment Advertising

• Family Health Leave

 • Continuous Service

• Holidays

 • Retirement Plan

• Vacation

 • Accidental Insurance

• Leaves of Absence Without Pay

• Personal Leave

Why to adopt Policies

Following are the benefits of adopting the policies by the organization

–   Complete thought of the basic needs of both organization and employees

– Established policies ensure consistent treatment of all personnel treatment throughout the organization

–   Policy promotes stability – continuity of action

–   It serve as a standard of performance

–   Helps to build employee motivation and loyalty

–   Helps to resolve interpersonal or intrapersonal and intergroup conflicts.

Formulating Policies

•        Five principle source for determining the content and meaning of policies

–   Past practice

–   Prevailing practice in the rival companies

–   Attitudes and philosophies of the founders (Top level Management

–   Attitudes and philosophies of middle level management.

–   Knowledge and experience from handling personnel problems

Steps in design the Policy

1.     Initiate a policy

2.     Uncovering the facts by personnel department

3.     Recommending a policy to top management

4.     Put the policy in writing

5.     Explaining and discussing the proposed policy with members

6.     Adopting and launching it

7.     Communicating it to employees to all levels

8.     Administering it

9.     Initiating a follow up

10.                    Evaluating it

11.                    Restating or Reformulating the policy

Elements of HR Policy

History of Company’s Growth

Employment practice and condition of employment

Grievance of redressal procedure

Safety rules and regulation

Mutuality of interest and need for co operation

Employee financial aids

Educational Opportunities

Employees news sheet and house journal

Company policy

Collective bargaining

Procedures of disseminating information on company policies

Maintenance of discipline & Public Relations

Employees news sheet and house journal