Understanding Policies and Procedures Manual

The definition of policies and procedures manual

A policies and procedures manual is a complete text that details every point of the company policy, the procedures in following the policies and the forms required to complete each process.

It is a reference tool for managers and supervisors and is much more comprehensive in detail than the employee handbook. It should be used for back-up when someone needs more information to explain a policy or to have a deeper understanding of a specific process.

The manual can contain references to employment and labour laws that correlate to each policy, as a benefit to management. Managers and supervisors have access to the rationale for the policies which provides assistance for them in enforcement.

How to create a policies and procedures manual

To get started, consider these main points:

1. What is the goal of your policies and procedures manual?

Usually, employers want to create a policies and procedures manual similar to employee handbooks but with more emphasis on protections for the employee and employer by clearly stating employment policies.

Other employers prefer a policies and procedures manual that is more focused on best practices and core business processes. This manual is a compilation of the expertise and insights collected for an organisation over time, such as call scripts or specific step-by-step procedures for day-to-day work. This manual is updated over time.

2. What should you include in your policies and procedures manual?

Here are some examples of subjects usually included in policies and procedures manual:

Employment policies
Employee benefits
Payroll
Workplace guidelines
Employee conduct
Telecommuting policies
Communication policies
Technology use policies

Make sure you've done enough research to write a policies and procedures manual.

3. Who is the intended audience for your policies and procedures manual?

Not all policies and procedures manuals are written for managers and supervisors. A variety of people may need to review the content you've put together in your manual. Remember that people only read procedures for two primary reasons:

They are clueless and don't know what to do or how to begin
Something went wrong and they need help

Make sure that it's clear and concise for the employees, and well-organised so they can easily find what they need. Make sure you fully understand your audience by figuring out:

how much they know
their work environment
their reading ability
their available resources
their time constraints
their common problems

4. How to make it easy for them to use?

Most companies prefer to pass everyone a printed copy of their policies and procedures manuals, but today a digital form of it might also be handy.

The truth is it is not easy to update a printed version of these manuals, and it's not accessible for employees who are on the go. You need the flexibility to change along with it.

At its most basic, a PDF version of the manual should do, while you may keep the original document in its original file form (e.g. .docx) so you can update it whenever you need to. Don't forget to send it out to your employees or managers whenever you have made adjustments to the manual.

The difference between policies and procedures

Policies

Clear and simple statements of how your company intends to conduct its services, actions or business. They present a set of guiding principles to help with decision making.

Policies do not need to be long or complicated, and you will only need a couple of sentences for each policy area.

The elements in writing policies

Purpose: The purpose statement explains "why" the policy is being written and what it is trying to achieve in a brief statement that is clear and easy to understand
Overview: The policy statement should be a short statement of "what" the policy is intended to achieve. That means the aim(s) of the policy.
Policies should be accurate and easy to understand. If there are special terms, define and clarify them so everyone can understand.
The policies should be ratified by the relevant authority within the organisation and that the responsible party, the 'Policy Owner' is clearly identified.
Policies and procedures need to be reviewed regularly. it is recommended that a sub-committee or department head/person responsible review a set number or policies every 3-6 months and review them. This way the task of revision does not become too difficult.

Make sure the policies and procedures manual is fully understood by your target audience.

Procedures

Procedures describe how each policy will be put into action in your company. Each procedure should outline:

Who will do what
What steps they need to take
Which forms or documents to use

Procedures can just be a few bullet points or instructions. Policies and procedures vary between workplaces because they reflect the values, approaches and commitments of a particular company and its culture. But they all share the same role in guiding an organisation.

The elements in writing procedures

The procedure is a step by step, ‘how to’ guide that explains how the policy is to be carried out, enacted and accomplished.
The procedure clearly explains the steps to achieve the policy and who is responsible.
Review the procedure and ensure that it fulfils the purpose and detail of the policy.

Hopefully, this article gives you a clear idea about the policies and procedures manual and how it is different from the employee handbook. It is not a complete guide on how to write a manual, but it should give you a rough idea of how it should be.

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