Personnel Policies
For New Business

The following personnel policies for new business and general business policy guidelines will help you protect your company from liabilities and give you the basic ground rules for employees in protecting their rights.

We have put together some of the more common personnel policies for new business.

The benefits of personnel policy guidance
for small businesses and new business include:

• Prevention of miscommunication or misunderstandings
• Maintaining structure and order
• Justification of actions taken regarding employees
• Minimizing employee legal action & lawsuits
• Promotion of team building
• Prevention of injuries and maintaining a safe work environment

Here are the basic personnel policies for new business
and ground rules in personnel policy guidance
for small businesses:

Jump to these personnel policies for new business topics...
Hours | Discrimination |
Drugs & Testing | Security & Safety | Communications

Hours:
One of the basic personnel policies for new business or expanding HR departments is you will need to establish a focus on working hours.

You can set up the use of standardized time cards or time sheets or use a more relaxed approach where employees are simply expected to complete their workload in a defined amount of time.

This policy should include -

• What constitutes a "full time" working week.
• How you will keep track of employee hours.
• What constitutes lateness and how it will be handled.
• Flex hour guideline.
• Overtime pay.

Employment laws will impact upon your personnel policies for new business, particularly regarding overtime pay for certain employees, so be aware of them and know which employees qualify for overtime pay under such laws. If you are employing members of a union you will also have to abide by union rules and regulations.

In addition, make sure to read these articles:
It's all About Timing
Legal Q&A: Abscence Levels
Flexible Working Benefits
Eight Employment Laws You Must Follow
The Impact of Human Rights Act in the Workplace

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Discrimination:
Personnel policies for new business and general good business practice dictates that discrimination has no place in the modern business world. But not everyone understands the laws that protect employees against discrimination.

What you don't know CAN hurt you — especially if an aggrieved employee files a discrimination claim against your company.

Personnel policies for new business and growing businesses state that when employers violate workplace discrimination laws — whether deliberately or by accident — they face stiff legal and financial penalties, along with bad publicity, low employee morale and other consequences.

Discrimination occurs when an employee suffers unfavorable or unfair treatment due to their race, religion, national origin, disabled or veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. This group could also include employees who suffer reprisals for opposing workplace discrimination or for reporting violations to the authorities.

Personnel policies for new business and expanding businesses have noted that the law prohibits discrimination in a number of work-related areas including:

• Recruiting
• Hiring
• Job evaluations
• Promotion policies
• Training
• Compensation
• Disciplinary action

This definition raises the important point that unfair treatment does not necessarily equal unlawful discrimination. Treating a person differently from others violates Equal Employment Opportunity laws only when the treatment is based on the presence of a protected characteristic, rather than on job performance or even on something as arbitrary as an employee's personality. Keep in mind that discrimination claims can be highly subjective.

To avoid discrimination within personnel policies for new business, you do not have to extend preferential treatment to any employee. The law requires only that you extend the same employment opportunities and enforce the same policies for each employee.

EEO law stipulates that an employee who experiences discrimination can seek remedies including:

• Back pay.
• Restoration of their old job (if they were fired or reassigned).
• A court order to stop the discrimination.
• Compensation for pain and suffering.

Also, employers found guilty of workplace discrimination can face up to £170,000 ($300,000) in punitive damages.

In addition, if your company has not offered equal employment opportunities in the past, the law can require you to take special corrective measures. These may include "affirmative employment" initiatives that give members of persecuted groups special access to the same opportunities that other employees traditionally enjoyed.

Statute of Limitations:
Employment law includes a statute of limitations for discrimination claims and in most cases, employees must file complaints within 180 days of the alleged incident; after that time, they probably cannot pursue legal action.

Sexual discrimination claims are a special case:
Employees must file sexual discrimination claims within 90 days after they receive a "right to sue" letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which certifies their right to file a sexual discrimination claim.

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Drug use and Drug Testing:
There is no place for illegal drug use in your business. Your personnel policies for new business need to be strong and very clear.

Personnel policies for new business says that such a policy should make it clear that:

• It is unlawful to possess, distribute or manufacture any controlled substance while on company property or while conducting company business.
• It is unlawful to be engaged in company business while under the influence of an illegal drug.
• Violations of the above policies will result in disciplinary actions that can include termination & legal action.

Understanding that drug & alcohol abuse can be the result of a physical illness and/or an emotional dependency, some companies are now offering programs to help treat such employees.

In addition, make sure to read these articles:
What are the Rules for Drug Taking?
Legal Q&A - Drug testing at Work
Drug Testing of Prospective Employees

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Security and Employee Safety:
Personnel policies for new business and expanding businesses have noticed a growing concern in recent years in the area of security and employee safety.

Your personnel policies for new business and expanding businesses, concerning the security of your business and of your employees needs to be carefully thought out so that you do not infringe upon anyone’s personal liberties, while at the same time you do provide a safe work environment.

Such policies should include -

• Your safety evacuation program.
• Outline how fire and evacuation drills will be conducted in conjunction with local laws and ordinances.
• Security passes or ID cards.
• Computer passwords.
• After hour & visitor policies.

Personnel policies for new business and good business practice indicates the personal security of all employees should be of primary concern. Many companies issue security photo I.D. cards and computer passwords are commonly used at all levels.
Sign-in/out sheets for employees working on weekends or after regular business hours and policies regarding visitors also need to be considered.

Personnel policies for new business as in many small companies allow only a certain number of employees to have keys, while in retail businesses there are specific policies regarding the handling of cash or working cash registers. You should also clearly state in your security policies which employees are entitled access to confidential information.

Make sure all security policies are clearly explained to employees and any security personnel you may hire to help enforce such regulations. Your security personnel, or that which handles security in the building in which your company resides, needs to combine a knowledge of your security policies with good common sense and awareness.

In addition, make sure to read these articles to help in your search for good personnel policies for new business:
Protect Your Data
Living Dangerously
Guide to Beating the Bullies
Extra Security Checks Necessary
Who Regulates Workplace and Occupational Safety?

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Communications (and the use of computers):
I'm sure we have all done at some time or another, but the amount of non-business-related communications taking place during standard "work hours" today is overwhelming.

Of course it would be a little impractical to completely ban personal calls or e-mails, such communication should be limited to those that are deemed necessary and important.

Personnel policies for new business and general good business practice indicates that this policy should include -

• Restrictions on the use of an individual’s mobile/cell phone during business hours.
• The use of email is for business purposes only and the guidelines are;
  • E-mail that includes jokes or content that could be deemed offensive is prohibited.
  • The use of e-mail to send confidential or other such materials that might be sensitive to the company is prohibited.
  • The company has the right to monitor and review all e-mail sent and received by company employees.
• Visiting web sites that are deemed inappropriate, including sites featuring pornography, online games or potentially offensive material is prohibited.
• No personal shopping or personal business transactions are permitted via the Internet.
• Computer use is for authorized employees only.
• No one other than the specific employee is permitted to use his or her own personal password.
• Any computer virus or malfunction must be reported immediately.
• Disciplinary actions will result from the breach of any of the rules or regulations stated in this policy

In addition, make sure to read these articles to help you with personnel policies for new business :
E-mail Code for Staff
Mobile/Cell phone usage
Eight Employment Laws You Must Follow
The Impact of Human Rights Act in the Workplace

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