Step 2: Develop Policy Content

Legal Considerations

For policies required by legislation, much of the policy content may be driven by the requirements of the legislation.

Other legal considerations may be specific to your workplace. Consider:

• What are the legal implications of developing a policy? Remember even though a policy may not be expressly required to govern a situation if you develop one and then don’t follow it you could be putting your organization at risk.
• Do we have any collective agreements that need to be considered?

Operating Considerations

Considering the following questions can help you shape a policy that is appropriate to your workplace and organisation's needs:

• What does this policy need to accomplish? What are the outcomes?
• How does this policy support the development of our desired work culture?
• How will this policy be monitored and enforced?
• How will this policy impact a manager’s ability to act, for example, when reviewing performance, awarding promotions, approving leave, hiring or terminating?
• How will this policy impact our ability to attract quality candidates?
• How has our organization handled this issue in the past?
• Does the size of our workforce justify having a policy about this issue?
• Are we willing to invest the time it takes to keep the policy up to date?
• Will this policy foster something our organisation believes in? For example, if an organisation has a "family first" philosophy, it might want to have family-positive policies, such as flexible work hours.
• How does this policy impact funder requirements?

Consultation

In developing the content of the policy, it is good practice to consult with stakeholders, management, staff, and/or a member of the board. This will help to ensure you get buy-in for the policy, address the right issues and have a full perspective. Identify and connect with comparable organisations that have developed a similar policy and could serve as benchmarks for best practice. Some parties may have a role at this stage when the content is being drafted; other parties might be better placed as reviewers after the content has been developed.