What are Policies and Procedures? A policy is a formal statement of a principle or rule that members of an organization must follow. Each policy addresses an issue important to the organization’s mission or operations. A procedure tells members of the organization how to carry out or implement a policy.

Policy is the “what” and the procedure is the “how to”. Why do we need policies and procedures?

Policies serve several important functions: Communicate values and expectations for how things are done at your organization Keep the organization in compliance with legislation and provide protection against employment claims Document and implement best practices appropriate to the organization

Support consistent treatment of staff, fairness and transparency Help management to make decisions that are consistent, uniform and predictable Protect individuals and the organization from the pressures of expediency.

Your workplace is unique and therefore you may need to develop policies very specific to your organization and type of work.