Developed by the City of Toronto
Human resource policies and procedures are systems of codified decisions, established by an organization, to support administrative personnel functions, performance management, employee relations and resource planning.
Your board should put in place policies to ensure that all its personnel:
- Are recruited in an open, fair and competitive manner in compliance with requirements set out in City Guideline 2012-1, the former Social Housing Reform Act O. Reg. 339/01, s. 8, the Ontario Human Rights Code and all other applicable legislation.
- Undergo suitable screening.
- Are provided with job descriptions or written expectation.
- Receive appropriate training and orientation.
- Have suitable supervision or support.
- Receive meaningful, regular (at least annual) performance evaluations.
- Have access to fair grievance procedures.
- Are disciplined appropriately when necessary.
- Are provided with written copies of the policies affecting and guiding them.
- Are treated in compliance with provincial human rights, employment standards, freedom of information and protection of privacy, and any other relevant legislation.
How to create human resources policies and procedures
The Board can create human resources policies in a variety of ways including forming a human resources committee to write policies or procedures, or delegating this duty to senior staff, such as an Executive Director. It is however, the Board’s responsibility to give final approval on all policies. The policies and procedures should cover the following:
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Hiring
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Hours of Work
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Overtime Compensation
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Vacation/Holidays/Other Leaves
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Discipline
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Benefits
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Record Keeping
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Termination
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Regular Performance Reviews
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Workplace Harassment
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Employee Information & Privacy
The Board should designate a time for reviewing and evaluating these policies. A reasonable period between reviews is one to two years. Policies that are affected by changes in government legislation should be reviewed as soon as the law changes. Be sure to notify employees and provide them with a revised copy when a policy or procedure is updated.
