[Continued from Part 1]
4) Tracking and Security Paired with Anti-Micromanagement
Login activity tracking, security cameras, and GPS on company devices are all very useful when it comes to legal investigations. However, they can also be misused, and tracking off-work activities is forbidden in a number of ways under California law. You absolutely do not want to open the door to intrusive micro-management or the possibility of privacy-invading abuse of power, but you do want to be able to find stolen devices, secure your premises, and identify unauthorized activity.
This means that implementing tracking should be paired with a strict anti-micromanaging policy built into the company culture. Make sure your mandate clearly states that privacy and right to personal time are company values, and everyone from managers to IT admins who violate that policy will not be tolerated.
5) Secure Anonymity for Reports and Witnesses
If an HR department gets a reputation for flawed anonymity, it can become the greatest obstacle for important investigations. If people can’t trust that they will remain anonymous when reporting an issue, sharing an honest concern, or serving as a witness, they won’t come forward. This means building protected anonymity into the company culture and into your HR processes, along with consequences for leaking or attempting to find out the identity of those who take anonymous protected actions.
6) All Employees and New Hires Receive Transparency Training
The best way to make sure these changes become deep-rooted in the company culture is through training, orientation, and follow-through. Go through a company culture rejuvenation process where the new dual values of transparency and privacy are spotlighted. Then provide training on how to be transparent while respecting privacy to each department as it appropriately applies to them. Finally, include these values as a core part of new hire orientation, making sure they know that they should always receive and respond to directives through written communication, that they can ask questions, and that account-based tracking is live, but only during work hours and for work-related matters.
7) Implement the Policies and Consequences
Lastly, dive into implementation. No exceptions, no one can be “grandfathered in” to create a precedent for loopholes and personal preference in these important matters. In order to protect your team from mistreatment and your company from legal trouble, these transparency policies must be applied across the board.
Be prepared to help your existing team members adapt and encourage those who take to written digital communication naturally to loop everyone into the habit. Make sure devices and programs automatically log out when idle between users. Help everyone maintain their login integrity and record keeping. Not only can this help to keep people out of trouble, but it will equip your HR team with the tools you need to find answers if ever there is a matter of legal compliance, policy breaking, or employee rights violation.
Protect Your Company with Inherent Transparency
When it comes to compliant HR policies, transparency in your business operations is essential. Not only is tranparency better for teamwork and collaboration, it also makes investigations, audits, and correcting internal problems much easier because everything is already out in the open. Most employees will embrace your transparent policies because they prefer a more collaborative style, while those who oppose transparency are an immediate red flag.
These techniques will simultaneously empower your team and your HR department by ensuring that all business operations are out in the open. Responsibility, good behavior, and teamwork will thrive, and any issues can be immediately sorted out using the records created by everyday interactions.
Contact us today to explore more HR and team building best practices.