In many instances when new company’s or new businesses are starting up they will think about their employment contracts for staff and may have straightforward disciplinary and grievance procedures for staff on appointment. However, many new small companies with no previous experience of employing staff (and only envisaging employing small number of staff) may neglect to set out disciplinary rules in a specific way. This may mean that when staff bend or break these unwritten “rules” it is difficult to discipline them if the specific behaviour had not been mentioned.
So employees have to know firstly, what behaviour is expected of them in the workplace, and, secondly what will happen to them if they then break the rules as stated.
The rules given to staff should include:
- Timekeeping requirements and procedures for absence
- Performance of the particular job or task
- Issue of personal appearance
- Unacceptable behaviour to other staff such as bullying and harassment
- Rules about smoking, alcohols and drugs
- Personal use of company resources in work time (or out of work time) such as access to the internet and sending personal email, playing and downloading games and other misuse of company time and equipment
There may be particular strictures a particular company may need, such as behaviour with customers, though it is impossible to cover every possibility, but covering a range of areas will make clear the importance of appropriate behaviour. which may not be written in one policy, but noted in an appropriate document. For example, a health and safety policy will state employee’s responsibilities to themselves and others for different aspects of health and safety.
Employees should be aware that if rules are broken then disciplinary action may well be taken.