To design HR Policies, you may follow the following procedure:
1. **Review Relevant Laws**
Review government websites with information on various laws, such as the Shops and Establishment Act, Factories Act, Industrial Employment Act, Payment Of Bonus Act, Payment of Wages Act, PF & ESIC Act, etc., to understand their meaning and how they are applicable to your company. Some laws are not applicable unless there are a minimum number of employees.
2. **Draft Initial Policies**
Begin drafting policies based on your experience, meetings with staff, and understanding of the laws. Include sections such as policy summary, definitions, and procedures. Your draft should also include the policy name, whom the policy is applicable to, the date, and names and titles of final signers. You may also find out the policies of your competitor companies.
3. **Clarify and Refine Policies**
Complete the first drafts of your HR policies and continue to clarify policy concepts with other staff to ensure they meet the business needs of the company and the goals of the organization. Policy statements must be definitive in explaining concepts since leaving them open to interpretation can expose the company to lawsuits. For example, "Company-owned cell phones and computers, including email, may be monitored."
4. **Seek Feedback and Approval**
Send policies through a formal committee for feedback and approval. This committee should include internal representation from your company's legal, quality control, operations, human resources, and other applicable departments. Complete edits based on feedback and send policies to the company's senior leadership for final approval.
5. **Implement Policies**
Implement policies through email distribution, posting hard copies in common areas, and posting on intranet sites. For policies such as harassment and privacy, consider conducting an accompanying required training for all staff.
6. **Consider Cultural Implications**
When writing an HR policy, you must understand the cultural implications in policy formulation. Some organizations have a policy for almost every possible scenario, while others only have policies as required by law. Most organizations find a middle ground between these two extremes. You must understand where the organization falls to remain relevant to cultural sensitivities.
7. **Incorporate Input from Management and Employees**
Never attempt to set a policy without the input of both management staff and employees. If a policy makes sense, most individuals in an organization will not resist it. On the other hand, a policy that does not take into account the perspectives of others, or even worse, makes the job of others harder to accomplish, usually meets with outright defiance. This results in a policy that hinders the organization rather than aiding in accomplishing missions, goals, and objectives.
Hope this helps.