29 April 2022
You’re back! Or getting there slowly. Teams are returning to the office. Managers are getting back into the swing of managing face-to-face teams. Recruitment is a massive factor across all sectors, requiring position description, contracts, employee handbooks. Policies need updating or creating; who would have thought we’d need so many new policies? Work from home, hybrid work arrangements, OH&S checklists for home offices – the list goes on.
As a result of this, our clients have told us they have documents EVERYWHERE and it’s adding stress and taking up time they don’t have. Some have described it as overwhelming and they don’t know where to start. Believe it or not, this is a great place to start when assessing where you need assistance and can make a huge difference to managing a team and workplace. So, consider it time to “Marie Kondo” your documentation and get HR organised!
Employee Files
After two years of constant paperwork (think stand down letters, jobkeeper forms, medical certificates, vax certificates etc), it makes sense that your employee files might be looking a little bit messy. As employees return, employers will want to get back into the swing of reviewing contracts, remuneration, performance development reviews, and after so many disruptions – this makes sense. Now is a great time to do all those things. Start by tidying up your employee files. Create a ‘current’ folder, so when you need to access the most recent contract or performance review, it’s right there ready to go. Create an ‘obsolete’ folder for old contracts, out of date employee details forms or past leave requests. Use those folders like the lovely little crystal-clear containers in pantries and fridges everywhere.
Contracts and Variations
Another thing we are finding is that due to the changed employment landscape, many employers need to recontract, issue contract variations or recruit, requiring brand new contracts. Create a ‘current templates’ folder with your most current, compliant contracts and ‘obsolete’ the rest of them. That way, you’ll know you’re working off the most recent and compliant documents. Depending on your organisation, you should need no more than 8 or 9 (most will need even less) contract templates in your ‘current templates’ folder. This will take the guesswork out of going through different documents to make sure you have the right one. It will also help in knowing exactly when you last reviewed your contracts for compliance.
Policies, Position Descriptions and Everything Else
All of the above applies to all of your HR-related documentation. Whilst it is necessary to keep past documents, it’s also better if they’re out of the way of all the important stuff. Get in the habit of filing away rather than adding another number to the end of your filename every time you update. Using this approach for shared drives and employee intranets will also ensure everyone has access to exactly what they need instead of scrolling through all sorts of things to find it.
It might sound ridiculously simple or a little silly to some, but we’ve seen the benefits felt by employers and employees, when they have been able to get organised in their digital spaces and know they have exactly what they need in front of them.
So go get started! If you need support or help with updating, reviewing or creating new documents – Act Now – We are here to help – Call Now Actually 1300 605 305.
