3. Factors to consider in upgrading HR policies of an organization

1.      3. Factors to consider in upgrading HR policies of an organization

From the time of great depression, when the Hawthorne experiments were conducted till date, various studies has conducted by scholars to identify the employee behaviors; basically to understand the human capital factors that affect productivity and other environmental abbreviates that influence the workforce. They have developed different policies, strategies related to human resource management.

These policies have implemented by organizations to perform smoothly without any hassles and these policies may happen to change in-order to align the government or industrial rules, improve employee well-being etc. The purpose of HR policies goes beyond the legal compliance, where they foster a culture of trust, fairness, sense of inclusion and a clear and comprehensive HR policies provide legal protection, transparent communication of employee conditions, employee expectations on career growth, safety working environment etc. (Basu. R, 2024). 

There are various types of Human Resource policies within the organization. Some of them are,

1.    1. At-will Employment:

This statement reiterates that either the employer or the employee have the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time and the reasons for termination can also be numerous, but it needs to be ensured that reasons are lawful and valid (Kapur, R, 2020).

2.   2. Anti-harassment and Non-Discrimination:

These policies prohibit harassment and discrimination within the working environmental conditions, because, within the organization there are individuals who are different from another on the basis of numerous factors like caste, creed, race, religion, gender, age, ethnicity, educational qualifications, competencies and socio-economic background (Kapur, R, 2020). Therefore, it is important to make provision of equal rights and opportunities to all individuals and there should not be any form of discrimination on the basis of any of these factors.

3.   3. Leave and Time off Benefits:

These policies address the rules and procedures of the organization in terms of holidays, vacations, sick leaves, bereavement leaves, leaves due to personal problems, family issues and other time off benefits (Kapur, R, 2020).

4.   4. Timekeeping and Pay:

A timekeeping policy makes provision of information to the employees in terms of the methods for recording of the time worked and the significance of recording their time in an accurate manner (Kapur, R, 2020).

5.   5. Safety and Health:

Safety policies are related to the safety procedures, maintenance of good health conditions among the employees in order to prevent accidents, injuries and various types of health problems (Kapur, R, 2020).

6.   6. Performance and Discipline:

These policies make provision regarding how employees need to conduct themselves within the organization such as implementation of job duties, communicating and dealing with the other members of the organization, generating awareness in terms of programs and procedures, managing resources, making use of technologies and resources and contributing in the formation of amiable environmental conditions (Kapur, R, 2020).

 

These policies are implemented in the areas of Recruitment and Selection, Employment, Training and Development, Labor Welfare, Transfer and Promotion, Compensation, Performance Appraisal etc.

When the organizations happen to change their policies, there are some factors need to consider irrespective of the reason as listed below.

1.   1. Identifying the requirement:

Organizations need to identify the need of the particular HR policy or the modification and the situations it may address. The areas where the policies need upgrades are,

• ·      Workplace diversity
• ·     Compensation and other benefits
• ·      Employee relations, discrimination or harassments
• ·     Working conditions

So it is crucial to identify the current situation and the changes it required.

2.  2. Listing the objectives:

To identify the objectives or the things aimed to achieve, organizations need to identify,

• ·     Expected outcome from policy implementation
• ·      Relationship with company values
• ·      The way the policy address or promote the organizational culture
• ·      Parties who have the policy ownership
• ·      Implementing method and communication with employees

Also one most important thing is these organizational HR policies need to align with the employment laws and regulations of the country.

3.   3. Identifying the policy owners:

Though creating or changing a policy may be relatively easy, it is difficult to ensure the proper implementation among all sectors of the organization. Therefore, it is important to identify the accountable parties. So it is important to discuss with policy owners about the policy changes to ensure the proper implementation of it.

4.   4. Drafting the policy:

When drafting the policy; main concern should be the language. It should be simple, straightforward, and easily understandable. Normally, the policy drafts include;

• ·     Goal or purpose of the policy
• ·     The parties it is applicable (specific departments or general to entire organization)
• ·      Implementation process
• ·      Effective date of the policy

5.   5. Communication:

It is vital to communicate the policy changes to the employees and its benefits for them through e-mails, internal portals or HR management systems to take their support towards the implementation of the policies. Also it is important to have a platform to receive their feedbacks.

6.   6. Reviewing and updating the policies:

Before implementing the policy it is good to have a review with stakeholders or managers or employees from different departments. Organizations can have test runs to identify the practicability of their policy changes. Also it is important to review their policies periodically to ensure their smooth functioning.

References: 

1.   1. Basu, R, (2024), The Importance Of HR Policies On Employee Performance, Employee Engagement And Employee Motivation In Various Organizations, Educational Administration: Theory and Practice, 30(5), pp 4272-4279 [Online] Available at https://www.researchgate.net/. Accessed on 05^th November, 2024..

2.   2. Kapur, R, (2020), Human Resources Policies and Procedures