HR Policy vs. Standing Orders: Do We Need Separate Policies for Each?

Dear Seniors,

We are adopting an HR Policy in our organization. Is it sufficient to have one policy that covers both HR and standing orders, or is a separate standing order policy required as well? Please advise me.

Thank you.

Standing Orders vs. HR Policies

Standing orders deal with the statutory provisions for cases like employee absenteeism, leave, misconduct, and so on. The importance of the standing order arises more while conducting the inquiry. When devising the standing orders, the company has to anticipate occasions of misconduct and clearly define them in the standing order. If misconduct occurs that is outside the purview of the standing orders, and if the employee is awarded punishment, labor courts have ruled that the punishment is null and void.

In contrast, HR policies are for day-to-day operations. They are made to specify welfare measures, the organization of various events throughout the year, promotion policies, policies on performance appraisal, etc.

Regards, Dinesh Divekar