h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Why is it necessary for organisations to publicly state the obvious? Partly because the obvious is not always.... obvious. 'Crocker's Crackers Ltd. will maintain a work environment free from bullying and sexual harassment' is typical of policy statement language and, provided that the policy is backed up by systematic procedures and implementation, by no means a bad thing. Bullying and sexual harassment at work feature in the media so often that action is needed to prevent them. But is this true of all policy statements? 'Dangle's Bangles Ltd. seeks to ensure compliance with its published grievance and disciplinary procedures.' Is it at all likely that any organisation would publish procedures and then encourage people not to comply with them? Apart from BNFL, that is. Employment law requires grievance and disciplinary procedures to be followed. Why not just say 'Dangle's Bangles Ltd. implement procedures to comply with employment law'? And if we want to be really PC we can include a list of those parts of employment law which are currently in vogue. Not that anybody ever reads employment law - apart from lawyers and trade union officials.

I write policy - place me in the stocks. Actually policy on Healthand Safety is a legal requirement of the H&S at Work Act. Environment plicy is a requirement of management systems such as ISO14001 and EMAS. But the real key to it is that Policy is top level commitment to a standard that can then be enforced down the line. Where law is vague or doesn't go far enough, policy fills in the blanks.

For example, In the UK smoking at work is permissible. The law says employers must provide a non-smoking rest room (Workplace HSW Regs 1992), and it must assess exposure to hazardous substances (COSHH). Not good enough for the pregnant female secretary taking notes in the fug-filled office of her boorish boss? Then write a company policy to define what you feel is acceptable. Sure it's untidy and maybe the law should go further (there is a white paper out now on smoking at work available form the HSE so maybe this will happen) but where it doesn't or can't or where obfuscation abounds, in fliess the policy maker, cape flapping in the wind, to save the day.

And they pay me to do it...oh happy day

Errr... if you read carefully what I said, you will note that I thoroughly approve of policies in business. It seems to me common sense that any organisation should clearly state its policies, standards and the means by which it implements those standards. What I was questioning is whether it is necessary to say things like 'we will obey the law', because the converse is absolute nonsense. I wish you every success in your policy making. I too make a modest living from regulatory affairs - but please do not tell everybody. See my guide entry 'professionism'.

Apologies for misreading you. You are quite right - it shouldn't be necessary to state the "bleedin' obvious" as Basil Fawlty might say. Except to say that you have to cater for a pretty wide range of intellectual capabilities sometimes.

I wil look at your guide entry with interest