Training Overview

Building on our last meeting on HR legislation, the November All Group Meeting focused on Human Resources Policy and Procedure. We explored the purpose of policy and procedure, in particular how policy needs to embody your organization’s culture but still uphold legislation. We also addressed the standard components and format of policy and a procedure. We provided numerous examples to illustrate this.

We also tackled the issue of policy interpretation and implementation. While it is often beneficial to leave our policies relatively flexible, it also poses great challenges to our organizations: how do we achieve consistency and fairness when our policies are open to interpretation? We discussed the need to be clear and concise when developing policy and the need to create consensus about the meaning of policy. We also recommended following a policy review cycle during which staff and volunteers can provide feedback on policy leading to revised policies that better serve the organization.

Outcomes/Follow-Up Activities

Each organization will be asked to bring their current Human Resources Policy and Procedure or Code of Conduct documents, manuals or drafts to a one-on-one mentorship session. Together we will address the successes they’ve had and the challenges they face in the development, interpretation and implementation of their human resource documents.

Feedback

The organizations appreciated receiving the resources, activities and examples, which helped to illustrate the material in the presentation. The examples shared from the facilitators’ organization provided insight into how policies can be used, and misused, and the importance of clarity and open dialogue in policy development and review.

The organizations felt that the training was too densely packed; they would have preferred making this session into two parts. They lacked time to review the material. They also felt it would have been beneficial to include the organizations’ HR manuals in the training.

Training Resources

HR Policies and Procedures Presentation

Example HR Case Scenarios

Sample Policy and Procedure Manual: Table Of Contents Handout

Policy and Procedure Examples

Human Resources Essential Policy Checklist

Additional Resources/Links

Example-Policy Manual

Quick guide to HR Policy and Procedure

Coca-Cola’s social media policy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6R161hDAH4  

HR Council Guidelines: http://hrcouncil.ca/hr-toolkit/policies-guideline.cfm

HR Council Toolkit: http://www.hrcouncil.ca/hr-toolkit/home.cfm

HR Council Check-up: http://checkup.hrcouncil.ca/

Know-How Nonprofit: http://www.knowhownonprofit.org/organisation/operations/legal/copy_of_policies