It is amazing how fast time can fly, especially when life is busy and full of change. It’s easy as you run through your day to day to let some things fall through the cracks. One of the main things that tends to get overlooked is consistently keeping company policies up to date. As laws and culture changes, it is important to take the time to review and update company policies at the very least annually. Letting your policies get outdated can leave your company subject to legal action due to unclear or unaddressed issues. Below is a list of areas that are crucial to keep updated in your company handbook.

Compliance Policies Required by Law

Keep up to date with all local, state and federal laws so they are correctly reflected in your company policies. For example, some states require mandatory sick leave, while others do not. Some laws are implemented and subject to change annually so keeping tabs on these laws will help your company stay ahead of the curve and avoid any unnecessary legal action.

Social Media and Cell Phone Policy

As many employees are transitioning from at home work to in-office, the lines tend to blur between personal and work cell phone and social media use. Many companies have social sites blocked on computers, but employees can access their accounts on their smart phones and other personal devices.

In order to maintain order within the workplace, it would be wise to revisit these policies with employees so everyone is on the same page. Be sure to address when it is okay for employees to be on their personal phones and what is allowed on social media sites. Many employees may innocently post information on social media about the company or a co-worker that could easily cause issues within your team or even motivate an employee to pursue legal action. Get head of the issues by having a set of clearly stated policies on what is acceptable and what is not.

Dress Code

As styles change within our culture, simply saying “business casual” work attire is not cutting it in the workplace. What one considers business casual may be completely different than another. Keep from free range interpretation by adding a little more detail to your dress code. Be specific about what is considered business casual in your office. Jeans? Skirt length? Manufactured holes or rips in clothing? Many would consider this casual dress, but not all. When going over the dress code policy with employees, give examples of what is acceptable business casual attire and what is not.

Drug/Alcohol Policy

As many states have legalized marijuana, it may still not be acceptable within the workplace. The best way to address this issue is to create a policy to reflect the needs of the company. Simply state that any products that may alter or impair the employee in a way that may affect their job is not allowed on company property. This may include marijuana, alcohol or tobacco products. Whatever scale your company is comfortable with, it is important to have it very clearly written out in your policies and made known to all employees.

Each company has their own set of rules and standards that should remain updated over time. In order to remain compliant with the law and avoid any sort of legal trouble in the future, be sure that you are reviewing and editing the areas listed above. Schedule out time either quarterly or annually on your calendar so the task doesn’t get lost in the hustle and bustle of life.

If you need any help redefining new policies or updating the ones you currently have, our Swift Staffing team is trained and willing to assist you in this process. Please feel free to give us a call (918)794-4228 with any policy questions.