Welcome to HR Policies and Procedures

An introduction to the foundations of HR policies, their purpose in an organisation, and the ground rules for fair and consistent workplace management.

7 min

Activities: 0 of 2

What Is an HR Policy?

An HR policy is a formal statement of an organisation's rules, values, and standards regarding how its people are managed. While an employment contract outlines individual terms such as pay and hours, an HR policy sets broad, collective standards that apply across teams.

This course teaches you how to write, implement, and maintain an effective policy framework. Over six modules, you will explore the full lifecycle of workplace documentation—from clarifying legal distinctions to drafting accessible guidelines and running regular audits.

The Four Core Functions of Workplace Policies

Policies in Practice: Two Workplace Examples

Consider how the presence or absence of clear policies plays out in real workplaces:

Apex Logistics (No Compassionate Leave Policy): When a warehouse worker's parent passed away, their manager granted three days of paid leave based on an arbitrary decision. A month later, another employee in the same team lost a sibling, but a different shift supervisor refused paid leave, citing peak staffing needs. The inconsistency caused deep resentment, morale collapsed, and the team raised a formal grievance citing unequal treatment.
Bright Horizon Software (Clear Remote Work Policy): Bright Horizon documented clear guidelines covering core working hours, home-office equipment stipends, and communication response times. When team members asked about working from different time zones, managers had an immediate, objective standard to apply. Discussions stayed focused on operational needs rather than subjective opinions.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

HR writes rules without speaking to team leaders or front-line staff, resulting in policies that cannot be applied in practice. Fix: Consult operational managers early to test whether the proposed rules fit everyday workflows.

What would you do?

You are an HR advisor. Marcus, a team manager, approaches you because three of his team members were late twice this week. Marcus says: 'I want to send an email right now stating that anyone who arrives five minutes late will have half an hour deducted from their pay.'

What is the primary function of establishing written HR policies across an organisation?