CREATING ACTION PLAN

 Identifying the Organization’s Needs

Adhering to the policies that are legally required
Policies and Procedures that are Necessary for Company Operations
Policies and Procedures that Support Organizational Change

 Identifying sources of information

Existing Policies and Procedures
No Existing Policies and Procedures
Conditions of employment
Expert or Consultant
Other Organizations

REVISING CURRENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Evaluate how well the policy meets the needs of the organization

CREATING NEW POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

When creating new policies, your best resources will be senior management
and the HR department.

SUMMARY
 The introduction explains that policies guide actions toward desired
outcomes, while procedures ensure those actions align with the goals. For
effectiveness, companies need both written policies and procedures. The HR
policies and procedures manual (MaPP) plays a key role in communication by
providing managers and supervisors with a clear framework to communicate
expectations and employment conditions. The MaPP helps ensure fair
treatment, clarifies relationships, resolves misunderstandings, and
defines authority and responsibility. Unlike the employee handbook, which
outlines company rules and employee benefits, the MaPP offers detailed
instructions for managing daily interactions and implementing policies.
Understanding the distinction between policy and procedure is crucial for
developing or updating the MaPP.

To develop or update an organization’s HR MaPP, it is essential to

distinguish between policy and procedure.
 Policy:
o Definition: States the company’s intent and outlines the
company's philosophy on a specific aspect of the employer-
employee relationship.
o Purpose: Directs actions and ensures consistency with the
company’s strategic goals.
o Function: Explains what the policy is, who is responsible for its
execution, and why it is needed.
o What’s Included: Describes the rule, why it exists, who it
applies to, who enforces it, and its consequences.
o Characteristics: Applies broadly, changes less frequently, and
is generally expressed in broad terms.
 Procedure:
o Definition: Describes how the company’s policy is to be
implemented, detailing the methods or techniques used to
accomplish the policy.
o Purpose: Explains how to carry out the policy’s requirements
and achieve the desired outcomes.
o Function: Specifies who performs the procedure, what steps are
involved, how and when these steps are to be performed.
o What’s Included: Details the actions, the responsible
individuals, and includes graphs, forms, or charts.
o Characteristics: Applies more narrowly, changes more
frequently, and is often stated in detail.
Getting Started with the development of the HR MaPP involves a
structured approach, similar to any management process:
1. Step One: Establish clear goals with
measurable milestones and timetables.
2. Step Two: Develop an action plan to achieve those goals.
3. Step Three: Implement the plan.
 4. Step Four: Monitor the results to ensure both the plan and goals are
successfully accomplished.

Establishing Goals is a critical first step. Assigning someone to write

an HR MaPP without first defining clear objectives and goals is not only
inefficient but could also lead to important company objectives being
misstated or overlooked.

Creating Your Action Plan

Once you have established your goals, you will be ready to develop your action plan. This plan
is formulated by determining and sequencing the tasks required to accomplish your goals. The
tasks will help you in the next step, which involves identifying who will be assigned and what
resources will be necessary to accomplish your goals.

Implementing your action plan

 Identifying the Organization’s Needs

Adhering to the policies that are legally required
Policies and Procedures that are Necessary for Company Operations
Policies and Procedures that Support Organizational Change

 Identifying sources of information

Existing Policies and Procedures
No Existing Policies and Procedures
Conditions of employment
Internal Records and Resources
Expert or Consultant
Other Organizations

REVISING CURRENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Evaluate how well the policy meets the needs of the organization

CREATING NEW POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

When creating new policies, your best resources will be senior management
and the HR department.

WRITING YOUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

start with the policies that will have the most immediate
impact to the organization.
Obtaining senior management’s approval of your proposed list and the
sequence of
development.
Organizing your materials before you start writing, and making sure
the information you
have is relevant to the policy and the overall goal of the project.
 Revising Current Policies and Procedures
When reviewing current policies and procedures, you will need to
evaluate how well the policy
meets the needs of the organization.

Creating New Policies and Procedures

While many employers have policies in place that need updating, other
organizations may be
starting from scratch in creating written policies and procedures. When
creating new policies,
your best resources will be senior management and the HR
department.

Organizing Your MaPP and the Policies it Contains

In addition to ensuring that the MaPP is well organized, it is also
important to apply a uniform
structure for your policies and procedures. Here is one template option:
a. Heading – Provides a descriptive title of the subject matter, making
it easier for
someone to find the correct policy and procedures. It also includes the
effective date
(and any revision dates) of the policy and/or procedure.
b. Purpose – Describes the company’s intent for the policy.
c. Policy Statement – Explains the company’s course of action.
d. Scope – Identifies the employees and locations of the organization
that are covered by
the policy. It is important to clarify if a policy covers other locations,
functions, or
classifications of employees. If a policy specifically excludes areas of
the organization,
you should state the exclusions and why. You should also reference
other policies and
procedures that may address the exclusions.
e. Accountability – Identifies the individuals responsible for the
implementation and
administration of the policy and for performing the actions required by
the policy. Do
the operations managers and supervisors have any roles in the
implementation of the
policy and procedure? What role does HR have in this policy and
procedure?
f. Definitions – Defines any terms unique to the policy and terms that
require specific
clarification i.e. full-time vs. part-time employees. Are the definitions
consistent with
 how the terms are used in other policies and procedures?
g. Procedures – Outlines the detailed action steps for implementing the
policy.
h. Forms – Provides sample forms, if necessary, required for
implementation of the
procedure. You should note that not all policies have forms. If a form is
not required,
leave the item in the policy, but write ‘NONE.
’ When forms are required to implement
a policy, you should reference the title and form number where
applicable.
i. References – Identifies the policy’s relationships to other policies
(noted by policy
name and number where applicable).
j. Approvals – Indicates who approved the policy, when the policy was
approved and
notates any revisions (including dates).

OBTAINING APPROVALS
As you work through your action plan to complete your organization’s
MaPP, one component of
the process that should not be overlooked is ensuring that senior
management reviews and
approves of the documents you are generating.

Any policy and procedure that is required by federal and/or state laws
should also be reviewed
by a competent labor law attorney prior to finalizing the HR MaPP and
being communicated to
your employees

PUBLISHING AND COMMUNICATING

Each manager and supervisor should have access to a manual –
whether that be an electronic or
printed hard copy.

Managers and supervisors can be advised of the

MaPP’s contents in a number of ways:
 General meeting with senior management;
 General meeting with their supervisor;
 Written notices distributed to each individual;
 Bulletin board postings; and/or
 Revisions to the employee handbook.

You should ensure that any changes and new policies and
 procedures are understood by all current and new managers and
supervisors.
Encourage feedback from your managers and supervisors after your
manual has been distributed.
Begin a file with constructive suggestions for future manual revisions.

KEEPING IT RELEVANT
Your HR MaPP should be reviewed on a regular basis. It is
recommended that it be reviewed
once every two years. However, time between formal reviews of the
manual should not be
longer than five years to ensure compliance with the ever-changing
employment laws as well as
the changing environment of the organization.

Bulletins or memoranda to the employees should be issued on

a timely basis, informing them of
any changes. Supervisors should be advised to keep these
notices in the policy manual w

Summary of Developing an HR MaPP

Introduction: The development of an HR policies and procedures
manual (MaPP) requires both policies (company intent and philosophy)
and procedures (methods to implement policies) to ensure effective
communication and consistency. The HR MaPP aids managers in clearly
conveying company expectations, ensuring fair treatment, resolving
misunderstandings, and defining roles and responsibilities. It differs from the
employee handbook by offering more detailed instructions for managing
daily employee interactions. Understanding the distinction
between policy and procedure is key to creating an effective MaPP.
Distinguishing Policy vs. Procedure:
 Policy: States company intent, sets direction, and is more general with
less frequent changes.
 Procedure: Describes how to implement policies with detailed steps
and is subject to frequent changes.
Getting Started: To develop or update an HR MaPP, follow a structured
process:
1. Establish clear, measurable goals.
2. Develop an action plan.
3. Implement the plan.
4. Monitor results to ensure goals are met.
Establishing Goals: It’s essential to define clear objectives before
assigning someone to write the MaPP. Without this, critical goals may be
omitted or misstated.
 Creating an Action Plan: Once goals are established, develop a plan by
identifying and sequencing tasks. Assign responsibility and identify required
resources.
Implementing the Action Plan:
 Identify Organizational Needs: Ensure policies meet legal requirements,
support company operations, and facilitate organizational change.
 Sources of Information: Use existing policies, internal resources,
experts, or consultants to inform policy creation.
Revising Current Policies: Evaluate current policies to assess their
effectiveness and relevance to the organization.
Creating New Policies: For new policies, senior management and HR
should be key resources to ensure policies align with organizational goals.
Writing Policies and Procedures: Start with policies that have the most
immediate impact, seek senior management approval, and organize
materials to align with the goals of the project.
Revising Policies: Review existing policies to ensure they meet the
organization’s needs and update as necessary.
Organizing the MaPP: Policies should be structured with clear headings,
purpose, scope, accountability, definitions, procedures, forms, references,
and approval sections. This helps ensure clarity and ease of use.
Obtaining Approvals: Ensure senior management reviews and approves
the HR MaPP, and have legal counsel review policies required by law before
finalizing.
Publishing and Communicating: Make the MaPP accessible to managers
and supervisors, through meetings, written notices, or employee handbook
revisions. Gather feedback to improve future updates.
Keeping it Relevant: Review the HR MaPP regularly, ideally every two
years, but no longer than five years, to stay compliant with evolving laws
and organizational changes. Keep employees informed of updates through
bulletins and memos.