Step 3: Draft the Policy

A policy should include the following sections:

Purpose

The purpose sets out what the policy intends to accomplish, or the goal of the policy. For example, a health and safety policy may have the purpose of ensuring a safe and healthy workplace for all workers in compliance with the relevant health and safety legislation.

Scope

The scope outlines to whom the policy applies. It may apply to all staff and workers, or differentiate based on level, location, employment status, or department. If the policy also applies to volunteers, contract workers and consultants doing work on behalf of the company be sure to identify this. The scope should also identify exceptions to the policy.

Statement

The statement is the actual rule or standard the policy needs to communicate.

Responsibilities

Outline the responsibilities of the board, management and staff in regard to the policy as well as who is responsible for developing, maintaining, monitoring and implementing the policy.

If there are consequences for not complying with the policy (e.g., disciplinary), be sure to mention this. For example, “Failure to comply with this policy could result in disciplinary measure up to and including just cause for termination of your employment.”

Definitions

Clearly define any terms used within the policy. If the terms are included in legislation that underpins the policy be sure to use the definitions from the legislation (e.g., disability, prohibited grounds, discrimination, harassment, workplace violence).

Questions

Identify the person or position employees can approach if they have questions.

References

Reference any other policies, documents or legislation that support the interpretation of this policy.

Effective Date

Indicate the date the policy came into effect and the date of any revisions.

Review Date

Indicate the date the policy is due to be reviewed.

Approval

Indicate who approved the policy and the date of approval (e.g., the board, the human resources policy committee, the executive director).

Tips for Drafting the Policy

• Use straightforward clear language and avoid jargon and legal language - you want the policy to speak directly to the people for whom it is intended.
• Check that the content and wording are unbiased and encourage fair, consistent treatment.
• Use terms consistently and define any special terms.
• Be sure that there is only one possible meaning to the standard or rule set by your policy.
• It’s a good idea to consider a few “what if” scenarios and see if the policy still fits, keeping in mind that most policies will not, and should not, cover every possible circumstance.
• For most policies, you will want to allow for exceptions to the rule. Use terms like “generally”, “usually”, and “typically” and avoid terms like “always” and “never”.
• Include a statement like “this is intended as a guide only”.
• There are a few situations where you want to be absolutely clear that the standard set by the policy will apply in all situations. For example, in a violence policy, you would want to say “violence at work will not be tolerated under any circumstances”.
• If using a sample policy or draft, tailor the policy for your specific workplace.
• Use a policy template as a guide (we will attach a few to guide you through the process.