Oceanic Pharmachem Private Limited (OPPL) believes that legacy company rules which are unproductive and cumbersome for the employees have to be abolished at the earliest.
Outdated rules and policies, and unnecessary HR practices make it harder for any company to hire and retain employees. Still, lot of organizations follow archaic rules incepted at the start. Companies need to realize that every stringent policy applied to their employees give new reasons for talent to leave and work for a more deserving organization.
Ten policies that every employer should get rid of as they do not fit the modern age:
1. Linking time off from work with a disciplinary infraction
If an employee needs time off to deal with a personal issue (a kid's illness, a court date, a doctor's visit, an automotive repair, etc.) and they don't have available paid time off to cover the absence, then it is acceptable not to pay them -- but putting a black mark in their personnel file will be detrimental.
2. Requiring manager's permission for an internal transfer of employee
It’s difficult to stop employees from applying for jobs with competitors. If internal transfers are made hard for employees, they'll take the path of least resistance and leave the company altogether.
3. Ranking employees against one another
Stack-ranking programs are ineffective, expensive, pointless and trust-killing exercises.
4. Demanding funeral notice to prove family member’s death, for bereavement pay
Not having trust in employees at a difficult time, will only lower the loyalty
5. Implementing high-detailed dress code policy
A simple "Dress appropriately for a business office" will suffice without elaborating the dress code policy. Independent managers can talk with their employees about wardrobe choices, without the need for HR intervention.
6. Not compensating salaried employees for overtime
For finishing projects after office hours or work stay, compensation/ appreciation is a necessity; while a demerit for next-day late-coming should be avoided.
7. Prohibiting managers from giving good references to deserving employees
Asking managers to give bad references to former employees can expose the company to a defamation charge and the practice must be avoided.
8. Basing an employee's annual salary increase on any factor apart from performance
Pay increase policies have to be uniform across the board and have to be linked only to market value and individual worth.
9. Not acknowledging value of work-from-home
Smart employers must embrace flexitime and the employee convenience to work from home.
10. Demarcating company policy manual and employee handbook into "us" and "them"
Treating employees like customers is deriding, as both company and employees are on the same side.
If all of the above policies are not abolished, the company culture gets broken. All energy spent on protecting the company against own employees should be allocated to serving customers, delighting shareholders and making the organization a vibrant and humane place to work. The company policy manual must reflect the company’s trust in the teammates.