HR policies, templates and procedures for 2024

Find HR policies templates, as well as procedures to fit all of your HR requirements, even when you're building your business from the ground up – drafted by CIPD-qualified HR with expertise in small businesses.

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Amy Cowpe - Chief Operations Officer

Written by:

Amy Cowpe – Chief Operations Officer

HR templates

Hello and welcome to our HR policies hub! My name is Amy, and I'm CharlieHR's COO, which means I often get involved in all kinds of situations: redundancies, grievances, employment contracts,... You name it, but the one I ask myself is often the same: should I build an HR policy for this?

HR policies may not be the most captivating subject; they’re not as exciting as discussions about growth or performance, but – pretty much like any HR professional, operations manager or chief of staff – they're the foundations on which your business is built.

We wrote this guide as a support system to create your HR policies – you’ll find templates and procedures – downloadable for free – but remember that you’ll be the one making the final decision on what HR policies your business needs.

How can you use this HR policy hub? 

Our HR policy hub allows you to: 

  • Download HR policies and procedures templates crafted by CIPD qualified HR experts for free
  • Understand what HR policies and HR templates need to include with helpful advice from our blogs

Find the HR policies your business needs at every stage of growth

Required by UK law 

Health and safety policy 

Disciplinary and dismissal policies 

Grievance policy 

The essentials

Sickness and absence policy

Annual leave policy

Data protection policy

The extras

Small business mental health policy 

Flexible working policy

Birthday leave policy

Diversity and inclusion policy

Required by UK law

health and safety policy

Health and Safety policy

Required by UK law

Complying with health and safety regulations matters to your small business, especially if you want to avoid expensive fines along the way and if you care about the well-being of your employees. 

Regardless of what you think you’re doing right, there are rules to follow depending on the industry and the role your team members have – so that’s when having a policy in place will help. Just read our guide to find out more or download our template. 

tick

Remain compliant by having all the steps for health and safety in place depending on your industry

tick

Download a generic health and safety policy template

tick

Understand the measures you need to take to protect your team members and your business

disciplinary policy

Disciplinary policy and procedure

Required by UK law

Your disciplinary policy is crucial to fostering the right environment for your business and safeguarding your employee’s rights. It also sets our the rules you need to follow in case of a disciplinary procedure or a dismissal to be in line with UK employment law. These are complicated procedures when you don’t have an HR training, so read on to find out step-by-step guidance. 

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Get a basic understanding of what elements need to go into a disciplinary policy

tick

Download a free disciplinary policy template crafted by HR experts

tick

Understand all the steps you need to take to have a complete and legally compliant disciplinary procedure

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Download a free disciplinary procedure template 

grievance policy

Grievance policy

Required by UK law

Grievances are a cause for a complaint or unfair treatment that a team member might bring to you or to their superior. 

You must have a procedure and an HR policy in place to deal with these scenarios, as they could lead you to an employment tribunal if you’re not careful. Remember that small businesses can’t often afford these challenges, so don’t take the risk of going under and have a strong policy in place.

tick

Understand what a grievance policy should be made of and how to implement a grievance procedure 

tick

Download a grievance policy template for free

tick

Help protect your business with this mandatory policy

The essentials

Sickness and absence policy

Sickness and absence policy

This particular policy is very important when it comes to dealing with supporting the health and wellbeing of your team members, whilst maintaining good attendance and productivity levels across your business. 

As a small business, you’ll also have a higher workload, so it’s important you protect your productivity levels from overbearing absences.  

tick

Understand how to deal with sickness and absences at your business

tick

Download a free sickness and absence policy template 

tick

Get information about statutory sick pay, company sick pay, return to work interviews, medical report, long term sickness, meetings procedure and appeal

annual leave policy

Annual leave policy 

Every team member working for you is entitled to some time off – that’s where a holiday policy comes in handy to establish a few rules around when and how to take time off. 

In our guide, you can expect to hear about holiday allowance and entitlement, time off carry over, accrued holidays, restricted periods of holidays, time off overlap and when it’s time to take action for disrespecting these rules. 

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Get a complete guide written by one of our HR experts to build your annual leave policy 

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Download our annual leave policy template for free

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Have a look at the 8 mandatory sections your annual leave policy should always include

data protection policy

Data protection policy 

A data protection policy not only helps you comply with data protection law and follow good practices, but it’s also a great way to protect your team members, customers and partners. All in all, your data protection policy will ensure transparency when it comes to storage and usage of individuals’ data as well as show you’re protected against data breaches. It’s crucial for any business, but even more if you’re starting out or if you have limited resources. 

tick

Understand all the essential elements included in a data protection policy

tick

Download a free data protection policy template for your business

tick

Protect your business from data breach with a policy that leaves nothing behind

Get your small business the HR it needs

Make sure your company is legally compliant and get HR off your plate for good.

Book a demo

The extras

mental health policy

Small business mental health policy

Supporting your team’s mental health is super important if you want to avoid situations such as depression and burnout – especially in a small business where cadence can be quite hectic, and people often end up overworked. Your role as an employer is to safeguard your employee’s mental health, and that’s where a policy can be useful. We’ve shared what we’ve put in place at Charlie during the early days.

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Find out how a small business can support mental health with limited budget 

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Download our mental health policy document 

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UndHave a look at the data we shared in 2020 regarding mental health erstand why having an equal opportunities policy for your business is crucial

flexible working

Flexible working policy  

Flexible working is no longer a perk, it’s a right your employees have as soon as they start at your company, so perhaps it’s a good idea to put a flexible working policy in place. Depending on the needs of your company, your policy might be different from others, but it may be a good idea to see what a small business does to tackle flexible working and get inspiration from it. 

tick

Understand the rights of your employees and how you can support them 

tick

Download a free flexible working policy template 

tick

Get inspiration and tips for how we did it at Charlie as a small business 

birthday leave policy

Birthday leave policy

A new policy that has stuck around in the world of HR is giving team members the day off for their birthday. It can be a good trick up your sleeve when it comes to offering extra benefits for your employees, especially if you are a small business with limited resources. 

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Understand how different businesses deal with birthday leave policy

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Find out whether it’s worth implement a birthday leave policy for your business

tick

Download a birthday leave policy template for free

diversity and inclusion policy

Diversity and inclusion policy 

It may sound similar to the equal opportunities policy, but the diversity and inclusion policy, also called DE&I highlights different aspects of your company’s efforts towards building a welcoming and inclusive workplace. Your business should aim to be as inclusive as possible, as getting different perspectives and having various experiences across your business will allow it to flourish. 

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Understand what the top pillars of DE&I are and how to build your policy

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Download a free DE&I policy template 

What HR policies do you need as a small business? 

Small businesses can make do with the three mandatory policies required by UK law which are a grievance policy, a disciplinary policy and a health and safety policy. 

However, it’s quite difficult to operate with juste these HR policies in place, so we recommend small businesses (even if it’s just two people) to create more than just three. 

On top of the HR policies required by UK law, you can start by adding the following: an annual leave policy, a sickness and absence policy, and a data protection policy. 

You can then choose to add more policies into the fold when you feel comfortable. Some examples are a mental health policy, a flexible working policy, a birthday leave policy or a diversity and inclusion policy.

Why do you need HR policies at your small business?

At a small organisation like the one we run at Charlie, it's crucial to have HR policies in place for several reasons:

  • to follow our HR strategy and stand by it as a guiding north star
  • to give guidance to people dealing with HR who don't necessarily have adequate experience and whose role include other responsibilities
  • to become an attractive employer, even when we don't have the means of bigger corporations – for example, by having a hybrid working policy
  • to protect ourselves against any legal issues and comply with UK employment law (think of how damaging receiving a fine for a forgotten update following a change in legislation could be for a small business)
  • to develop a professional approach to HR and make sure we standardise HR practices across the business for when we grow
  • to keep up with a moving world of work where employees are always expecting more from their employers
Required by UK law 

Health and safety policy 

Disciplinary and dismissal policies 

Grievance policy 

The essentials

Sickness and absence policy

Annual leave policy

Data protection policy

Bullying and harassment policy

The extras

Flexible working policy

Birthday leave policy

Diversity and inclusion policy

Hybrid working policy

Recruitment policy

Equal opportunities policy 

Required by UK law

health and safety policy

Health and Safety policy

Required by UK law

Complying with health and safety regulations matters to your small business, especially if you want to avoid expensive fines along the way and if you care about the well-being of your employees. 

Regardless of what you think you’re doing right, there are rules to follow depending on the industry and the role your team members have – so that’s when having a policy in place will help. Just read our guide to find out more or download our template. 

tick

Remain compliant by having all the steps for health and safety in place depending on your industry

tick

Download a generic health and safety policy template

tick

Understand the measures you need to take to protect your team members and your business

disciplinary policy

Disciplinary policy and procedure

Required by UK law

Your disciplinary policy is crucial to fostering the right environment for your business and safeguarding your employee’s rights. It also sets our the rules you need to follow in case of a disciplinary procedure or a dismissal to be in line with UK employment law. These are complicated procedures when you don’t have an HR training, so read on to find out step-by-step guidance. 

tick

Get a basic understanding of what elements need to go into a disciplinary policy

tick

Download a free disciplinary policy template crafted by HR experts

tick

Understand all the steps you need to take to have a complete and legally compliant disciplinary procedure

tick

Download a free disciplinary procedure template 

grievance policy

Grievance policy

Required by UK law

Grievances are a cause for a complaint or unfair treatment that a team member might bring to you or to their superior. 

You must have a procedure and an HR policy in place to deal with these scenarios, as they could lead you to an employment tribunal if you’re not careful. Remember that small businesses can’t often afford these challenges, so don’t take the risk of going under and have a strong policy in place.

tick

Understand what a grievance policy should be made of and how to implement a grievance procedure 

tick

Download a grievance policy template for free

tick

Help protect your business with this mandatory policy

The essentials

Sickness and absence policy

Sickness and absence policy

This particular policy is very important when it comes to dealing with supporting the health and wellbeing of your team members, whilst maintaining good attendance and productivity levels across your business. 

As a small business, you’ll also have a higher workload, so it’s important you protect your productivity levels from overbearing absences.  

tick

Understand how to deal with sickness and absences at your business

tick

Download a free sickness and absence policy template 

tick

Get information about statutory sick pay, company sick pay, return to work interviews, medical report, long term sickness, meetings procedure and appeal

annual leave policy

Annual leave policy 

Every team member working for you is entitled to some time off – that’s where a holiday policy comes in handy to establish a few rules around when and how to take time off. 

In our guide, you can expect to hear about holiday allowance and entitlement, time off carry over, accrued holidays, restricted periods of holidays, time off overlap and when it’s time to take action for disrespecting these rules. 

tick

Get a complete guide written by one of our HR experts to build your annual leave policy 

tick

Download our annual leave policy template for free

tick

Have a look at the 8 mandatory sections your annual leave policy should always include

data protection policy

Data protection policy 

A data protection policy not only helps you comply with data protection law and follow good practices, but it’s also a great way to protect your team members, customers and partners. All in all, your data protection policy will ensure transparency when it comes to storage and usage of individuals’ data as well as show you’re protected against data breaches. It’s crucial for any business, but even more if you’re starting out or if you have limited resources. 

tick

Understand all the essential elements included in a data protection policy

tick

Download a free data protection policy template for your business

tick

Protect your business from data breach with a policy that leaves nothing behind

harassment policy

Bullying and harassment policy

Another aspect of HR policies you shouldn’t leave behind is having procedures in place to spot and tackle bullying and harassment at work. Whether it’s an employee, a client or third parties, your bullying and harassment policy should cover everyone. Harassment can come in multiple forms such as sexually suggestive material, racial comments, and exclusion among many others. These are just examples, but everything is covered in our bullying and harassment policy guide.

tick

Understand what bullying and harassment are, why and how you should protect your team from it

tick

Download a free bullying and harassment policy template for your business

Make your HR effortless

Make sure your company is legally compliant and get HR off your plate for good.

Book a demo

The extras

flexible working

Flexible working policy  

Flexible working is no longer a perk, it’s a right your employees have as soon as they start at your company, so perhaps it’s a good idea to put a flexible working policy in place. Depending on the needs of your company, your policy might be different from others, but it may be a good idea to see what a small business does to tackle flexible working and get inspiration from it. 

tick

Understand the rights of your employees and how you can support them 

tick

Download a free flexible working policy template 

tick

Get inspiration and tips for how we did it at Charlie as a small business 

birthday leave policy

Birthday leave policy

A new policy that has stuck around in the world of HR is giving team members the day off for their birthday. It can be a good trick up your sleeve when it comes to offering extra benefits for your employees, especially if you are a small business with limited resources. 

tick

Understand how different businesses deal with birthday leave policy

tick

Find out whether it’s worth implement a birthday leave policy for your business

tick

Download a birthday leave policy template for free

diversity and inclusion policy

Diversity and inclusion policy 

It may sound similar to the equal opportunities policy, but the diversity and inclusion policy, also called DE&I highlights different aspects of your company’s efforts towards building a welcoming and inclusive workplace. Your business should aim to be as inclusive as possible, as getting different perspectives and having various experiences across your business will allow it to flourish. 

tick

Understand what the top pillars of DE&I are and how to build your policy

tick

Download a free DE&I policy template 

hybrid working policy

Hybrid working policy

Hybrid working has been the talk of the town in the last few years: a perfect combination of getting the opportunity to work remotely as well as in the office. At Charlie, we’re very proud of the hybrid working policy we’ve got in place and that’s why we thought sharing our experience would help others. Not to mention that creating a hybrid working policy will be a great way to maintain the flexibility your team members enjoy.

tick

Understand the difference between hybrid working and other types of flexible working

tick

Download a free hybrid working policy template on how to describe the accident

tick

Help your business decide whether hybrid working could be a good fit 

recruitment policy

Recruitment policy

A recruitment policy can be super helpful when you’re boosting your hiring, as it sets out the standards for the company when it comes to best hiring practices. A policy will ensure people follow the same hiring standards, and hire everyone the same way, reinforcing fairness and removing bias as much as possible. 

tick

Find out what a recruitment policy is and what it should include 

tick

Download a free policy template 

tick

Understand the advantages of a recruitment policy for your business

equal opportunities policy

Equal opportunities policy

All businesses would be better off having this policy in their handbook as it will prevent unfair discrimination across your organisation. Following the UK Equality Act of 2010, although this policy is not mandatory, it is now unlawful to discriminate against someone in the workplace due to their age, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion or disability, so make sure you have the right processes in place if that ever happens.

tick

Make the most out of your equal opportunities policy in this guide

tick

Download a free equal opportunities policy template

tick

Understand why having an equal opportunities policy for your business is crucial

Required by UK law 

Health and safety policy 

Disciplinary and dismissal policies 

Grievance policy 

The essentials

Sickness and absence policy

Annual leave policy

Data protection policy

Bullying and harassment policy

Attendance policy 

Equal opportunities policy

Recruitment policy

Diversity and inclusion policy 

The extras

Flexible working policy

Birthday leave policy

Hybrid working policy

Mobile phone policy 

Bank holiday policy

Menopause policy 

Lone working policy

Required by UK law

health and safety policy

Health and Safety policy

Required by UK law

Complying with health and safety regulations matters to your small business, especially if you want to avoid expensive fines along the way and if you care about the well-being of your employees. 

Regardless of what you think you’re doing right, there are rules to follow depending on the industry and the role your team members have – so that’s when having a policy in place will help. Just read our guide to find out more or download our template. 

tick

Remain compliant by having all the steps for health and safety in place depending on your industry

tick

Download a generic health and safety policy template

tick

Understand the measures you need to take to protect your team members and your business

disciplinary policy

Disciplinary policy and procedure

Required by UK law

Your disciplinary policy is crucial to fostering the right environment for your business and safeguarding your employee’s rights. It also sets our the rules you need to follow in case of a disciplinary procedure or a dismissal to be in line with UK employment law. These are complicated procedures when you don’t have an HR training, so read on to find out step-by-step guidance. 

tick

Get a basic understanding of what elements need to go into a disciplinary policy

tick

Download a free disciplinary policy template crafted by HR experts

tick

Understand all the steps you need to take to have a complete and legally compliant disciplinary procedure

tick

Download a free disciplinary procedure template 

grievance policy

Grievance policy

Required by UK law

Grievances are a cause for a complaint or unfair treatment that a team member might bring to you or to their superior. 

You must have a procedure and an HR policy in place to deal with these scenarios, as they could lead you to an employment tribunal if you’re not careful. Remember that small businesses can’t often afford these challenges, so don’t take the risk of going under and have a strong policy in place.

tick

Understand what a grievance policy should be made of and how to implement a grievance procedure 

tick

Download a grievance policy template for free

tick

Help protect your business with this mandatory policy

The essentials

Sickness and absence policy

Sickness and absence policy

This particular policy is very important when it comes to dealing with supporting the health and wellbeing of your team members, whilst maintaining good attendance and productivity levels across your business. 

As a small business, you’ll also have a higher workload, so it’s important you protect your productivity levels from overbearing absences.  

tick

Understand how to deal with sickness and absences at your business

tick

Download a free sickness and absence policy template 

tick

Get information about statutory sick pay, company sick pay, return to work interviews, medical report, long term sickness, meetings procedure and appeal

annual leave policy

Annual leave policy 

Every team member working for you is entitled to some time off – that’s where a holiday policy comes in handy to establish a few rules around when and how to take time off. 

In our guide, you can expect to hear about holiday allowance and entitlement, time off carry over, accrued holidays, restricted periods of holidays, time off overlap and when it’s time to take action for disrespecting these rules. 

tick

Get a complete guide written by one of our HR experts to build your annual leave policy 

tick

Download our annual leave policy template for free

tick

Have a look at the 8 mandatory sections your annual leave policy should always include

data protection policy

Data protection policy 

A data protection policy not only helps you comply with data protection law and follow good practices, but it’s also a great way to protect your team members, customers and partners. All in all, your data protection policy will ensure transparency when it comes to storage and usage of individuals’ data as well as show you’re protected against data breaches. It’s crucial for any business, but even more if you’re starting out or if you have limited resources. 

tick

Understand all the essential elements included in a data protection policy

tick

Download a free data protection policy template for your business

tick

Protect your business from data breach with a policy that leaves nothing behind

harassment policy

Bullying and harassment policy

Another aspect of HR policies you shouldn’t leave behind is having procedures in place to spot and tackle bullying and harassment at work. Whether it’s an employee, a client or third parties, your bullying and harassment policy should cover everyone. Harassment can come in multiple forms such as sexually suggestive material, racial comments, and exclusion among many others. These are just examples, but everything is covered in our bullying and harassment policy guide.

tick

Understand what bullying and harassment are, why and how you should protect your team from it

tick

Download a free bullying and harassment policy template for your business

attendance policy

Attendance policy

Getting people to show up to work might just seem like an easy concept, and you should trust your team to be able to do it. However, there can be some mitigating circumstances to not being able to show up to work. To make sure there are clear rules around it, have an attendance policy at the ready, to state your standards as well as the scope of attendance for your business. 

tick

Get the basis to create your own attendance policy

tick

Download a free attendance policy template for your business

tick

Get advice from an HR expert on the subject 

equal opportunities policy

Equal opportunities policy

All businesses would be better off having this policy in their handbook as it will prevent unfair discrimination across your organisation. Following the UK Equality Act of 2010, although this policy is not mandatory, it is now unlawful to discriminate against someone in the workplace due to their age, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion or disability, so make sure you have the right processes in place if that ever happens.

tick

Make the most out of your equal opportunities policy in this guide

tick

Download a free equal opportunities policy template

tick

Understand why having an equal opportunities policy for your business is crucial

recruitment policy

Recruitment policy

A recruitment policy can be super helpful when you’re boosting your hiring, as it sets out the standards for the company when it comes to best hiring practices. A policy will ensure people follow the same hiring standards, and hire everyone the same way, reinforcing fairness and removing bias as much as possible. 

tick

Find out what a recruitment policy is and what it should include 

tick

Download a free policy template 

tick

Understand the advantages of a recruitment policy for your business

diversity and inclusion policy

Diversity and inclusion policy 

It may sound similar to the equal opportunities policy, but the diversity and inclusion policy, also called DE&I highlights different aspects of your company’s efforts towards building a welcoming and inclusive workplace. Your business should aim to be as inclusive as possible, as getting different perspectives and having various experiences across your business will allow it to flourish. 

tick

Understand what the top pillars of DE&I are and how to build your policy

tick

Download a free DE&I policy template 

Make your HR effortless

Make sure your company is legally compliant and get HR off your plate for good.

Book a demo

The extras

flexible working

Flexible working policy  

Flexible working is no longer a perk, it’s a right your employees have as soon as they start at your company, so perhaps it’s a good idea to put a flexible working policy in place. Depending on the needs of your company, your policy might be different from others, but it may be a good idea to see what a small business does to tackle flexible working and get inspiration from it. 

tick

Understand the rights of your employees and how you can support them 

tick

Download a free flexible working policy template 

tick

Get inspiration and tips for how we did it at Charlie as a small business 

birthday leave policy

Birthday leave policy

A new policy that has stuck around in the world of HR is giving team members the day off for their birthday. It can be a good trick up your sleeve when it comes to offering extra benefits for your employees, especially if you are a small business with limited resources. 

tick

Understand how different businesses deal with birthday leave policy

tick

Find out whether it’s worth implement a birthday leave policy for your business

tick

Download a birthday leave policy template for free

hybrid working policy

Hybrid working policy

Hybrid working has been the talk of the town in the last few years: a perfect combination of getting the opportunity to work remotely as well as in the office. At Charlie, we’re very proud of the hybrid working policy we’ve got in place and that’s why we thought sharing our experience would help others. Not to mention that creating a hybrid working policy will be a great way to maintain the flexibility your team members enjoy.

tick

Understand the difference between hybrid working and other types of flexible working

tick

Download a free hybrid working policy template on how to describe the accident

tick

Help your business decide whether hybrid working could be a good fit 

mobile phone policy

Mobile phone policy

The use of mobile phones in the workplace can be very damaging, especially if you’re working with confidential information from your clients. Having a mobile phone policy, if you work in such an environment, or if you have productivity concerns, could be a good idea in the long run. 

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Understand how to increase productivity and protect your business from data breach

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Download a free mobile phone policy template

bank holiday policy

Bank holiday policy

A lot of bank holidays are based on religious traditions that stem from English history, however, the UK is a very diverse country and your business probably is as well – with a flexible bank holiday policy you can make everyone feel included, and not force people to take time off on a bank holiday that has no meaning to them. 

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Find out the pros and cons of a bank holiday policy

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Download a free bank holiday policy template

menopause policy

Menopause policy

A menopause policy might come in handy to support women in the workplace. It should be about what your commitment to employees is when supporting them through this difficult time of their lives. 

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Understand how a menopause policy can contribute to your DE&I goals  

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Download a free menopause policy template

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Create a policy that will put you at the forefront of forward-thinking employers

Lone working policy

Lone working policy

Some employees, due to the nature of their job, are expected to work by themselves and sometimes outside of normal working hours. So how do you take care of them and how do you apply the same level of care to their job? By putting together a lone working policy. 

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Understand what can qualify as lone working

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Download a free lone worker policy template 

Find the right HR policy by category

Sickness and absence policy

Attendance policy

Birthday leave policy

Annual leave policy

Sickness and absence policy

Sickness and absence policy 

One of your first HR tasks will be to onboard your new hires to help you build your company from the ground up. As many studies have shown, it's crucial their onboarding is structured and looks professional. By following this checklist, you'll make new hires feel welcome and ensure you take the first step towards retention.

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Understand how to deal with any type of absences and sickness at your business

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Download a free sickness and absence policy template

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Find out more about Charlie’s own policy 

attendance policy

Attendance policy 

It's expected that team members fulfill their work commitments, however, and without clearly defined expectations, there's a risk of someone exploiting the situation.How can you mitigate this risk? By developing a strong attendance policy.

Not only does it provide a safeguard in the event of attendance issues, but it also fosters an environment of equity and responsibility. Find out more in this article.

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Get the basis to create your own attendance policy

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Download a free attendance policy template for your business

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Get advice from an HR expert on the subject 

birthday leave policy

Birthday leave policy 

The practice of providing birthday leave is gaining popularity, especially among small businesses. It reflects a broader trend in the UK small business landscape, where there's a shift towards offering more employee-centric benefits.

Exploring new HR policies and procedures to enhance the well-being of team members, all while ensuring the financial sustainability of the business, is crucial. In this blog, find guidance on what a birthday leave policy could entail for your small business and get insights on how to develop one effectively.

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Understand how different businesses deal with birthday leave policy

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Find out whether it’s worth implement a birthday leave policy for your business

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Download a birthday leave policy template for free

annual leave policy

Annual leave policy 

Crafting an annual leave policy isn't a one-size-fits-all endeavour. Small businesses must determine what aligns best with their operations and remain flexible to adapt HR policies as their business evolves.

Defining the purpose of your annual leave policy is crucial, albeit nuanced. At Charlie, we recognise this complexity, which is why we've assembled this guide to assist you in drafting your own annual leave policy.

tick

Get a complete guide written by one of our HR experts to build your annual leave policy 

tick

Download our annual leave policy template for free

tick

Have a look at the 8 mandatory sections your annual leave policy should always include

Grievance policy

Bullying and harassment policy

Disciplinary policy

Disciplinary procedure

grievance policy

Grievance policy

Required by UK law

Developing a grievance policy for the workplace is not only a legal obligation but also a daunting task if you've never tackled it before.

In this guide, we'll delve into what a grievance policy is, its role in supporting the grievance procedure, and provide a complimentary grievance policy template so you can use it or customise it if you need to.

tick

Understand what a grievance policy should be made of and how to implement a grievance procedure 

tick

Download a grievance policy template for free

tick

Help protect your business with this mandatory policy

harassment policy

Bullying & harassment policy

Unchecked workplace bullying and harassment have detrimental effects on company culture, team performance, and employee mental health. In essence, they breed nothing but negativity.

Toxic work cultures arise when instances of bullying and harassment are disregarded, downplayed, or permitted. However, as business owners and HR professionals, it is our responsibility to foster inclusive workplaces defined by fairness, safety, accountability, and confidence. Find out how your bullying and harassment policy can help you do that. 

tick

Understand what bullying and harassment are

tick

Download a free bullying and harassment policy template for your business

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Protect your team members by learning about best practices to prevent bullying and harassment

disciplinary policy

Disciplinary policy

Required by UK law

Your disciplinary policy plays a pivotal role in fostering a productive and equitable workplace environment.

It upholds workplace norms and guarantees compliance with UK employment regulations. 

An effectively crafted disciplinary policy not only safeguards the rights of your employees and team members but also establishes the groundwork for a workplace characterised by fairness, transparency, and mutual respect. Find out more in our guide.

tick

Get a basic understanding of what elements need to go into a disciplinary policy

tick

Download a free disciplinary policy template crafted by HR experts

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Find out about the common challenges of building a disciplinary policy for your business

disciplinary procedure

Disciplinary procedure  

When facing allegations of employee misconduct, navigating the fine line between fairness and kindness, justice and consistency, and, above all, legal compliance is no easy task, especially when individuals' careers and livelihoods are at stake.

This challenge becomes even more pronounced within small businesses, where close-knit relationships, frequent interaction, and shared workspace or digital platforms like Slack amplify the impact of interpersonal dynamics throughout the company culture. Find out more about building a procedure in our guide.

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Understand all the steps you need to take to have a complete and legally compliant disciplinary procedure

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Download a free disciplinary procedure template

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Find out more about how to handle disciplinary appeals

Equal opportunities policy

Menopause policy

Diversity and inclusion policy

equal opportunities policy

Equal opportunities policy

The trajectory of our life's success is heavily influenced by numerous factors beyond individual influence – skin color, ethnicity, gender, physical attributes, and socio economic status play significant roles.

Policies promoting equal opportunities aim to level the playing field for individuals hindered by circumstances beyond their command. Don’t see it as a tick-box exercise. Find out more in our guide. 

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Make the most out of your equal opportunities policy in this guide

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Download a free equal opportunities policy template

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Understand why having an equal opportunities policy for your business is crucial

menopause policy

Menopause policy

If you're tasked with drafting a menopause policy, it's common to feel uncertain or inexperienced. Many small business owners share concerns about addressing menopause-related issues correctly.

However, to foster a supportive workplace environment and showcase genuine concern for employee well-being, it's essential to incorporate this into your HR policies. Find out more in our guide. 

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Understand how a menopause policy can contribute to your DE&I goals  

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Download a free menopause policy template

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Create a policy that will put you at the forefront of forward-thinking employers

diversity and inclusion policy

Diversity and inclusion policy

Navigating diversity and inclusion can pose a challenge. Small business owners and junior HR practitioners often approach this topic fearfully, worried about missteps that could alienate employees or potential candidates.

However, in today's landscape, diversity, equality, and inclusion go further than mere checkboxes. To thrive in a competitive market, proactive measures are essential to cultivate a workplace that attracts and retains top talent. Find out more in our guide. 

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Understand what the top pillars of DE&I are and how to build your policy

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Download a free DE&I policy template 

Hybrid working policy

hybrid working policy

Hybrid working policy

Hybrid working has proven its value, enduring beyond the pandemic's social distancing requirements.

This model combines the benefits of traditional office collaboration with the flexibility and autonomy of remote work, presenting the ideal blend of both environments. Find out more on how to implement it in our guide. 

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Understand the difference between hybrid working and other types of flexible working

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Download a free hybrid working policy template

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Help your business decide whether hybrid working could be a good fit 

Health and safety policy

Mobile phone policy

Data protection policy

Lone working policy

health and safety policy

Health and Safety policy

Required by UK law

Every UK business with over five employees must have a health and safety policy in place, as it's not only a recommended practice but a legal requirement. Non-compliance can lead to significant fines and severe legal repercussions.

Beyond legal obligations, such a policy demonstrates genuine concern for employee welfare, emphasising a commitment to their well-being. Implementing measures to ensure their safety fosters a positive work environment, enhancing job satisfaction and productivity among team members – find out more in our guide. 

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Remain compliant by having all the steps for health and safety at work in place depending on your industry

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Download a free health and safety policy template

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Understand the measures you need to take to protect your team members and your business

mobile phone policy

Mobile phone policy

Establishing a mobile phone policy to address any concerns regarding privacy or productivity can prove highly beneficial, if not indispensable. This is particularly crucial when implementing a remote work or hybrid model.

Here’s a comprehensive guide on crafting your mobile phone policy, highlighting its significance and practical steps for implementation.

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Understand how to increase productivity and protect your business from data breach

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Download a free mobile phone policy

data protection policy

Data protection policy

Drafting a data protection policy can seem daunting, with a myriad of details to understand and potential pitfalls to navigate.While grasping the fundamentals of your HR policies is essential, deciphering complex regulatory language to find clear, comprehensive answers can prove challenging.

Without a firm grasp of data protection regulations, ensuring compliance for your small business becomes a daunting task – we make it easier for you in our complete guide.

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Understand all the essential elements a data protection needs to include

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Download a free data protection policy template for your business

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Protect your business from data breach with a policy that leaves nothing behind

Lone working policy

Lone working policy

Implementing a lone working policy is vital for employees operating in isolation, serving as a crucial support system. In the event of an incident, emergency, or the need for assistance, this policy acts as a safety net.

Find out more on how this can be achieved in our complete guide on lone working.

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Understand what can qualify as lone working 

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Download a free policy template for your lone working employees

8 steps to create your own HR policies from scratch 

Writing HR policies can be a challenge for people without any HR experience. As someone juggling other responsibilities on top of HR, you might be familiar with the feeling of uncertainty that can arise from crafting HR documents: is this document compliant? Have I worded this correctly? 

As a CPID-qualified HR expert, my role involves creating HR policies for small businesses and understanding their unique set of circumstances to make it come across in writing. 

While it's not feasible for everyone to write HR policies with the same level of expertise, there is, however, ways around it. 

Just remember that it may be a good idea to get an HR professional to review your policies: the wrong wording could put your company in jeopardy and send you to employment law tribunals, which would be dramatic for a small business like yours. 

But if you’re determined to do this or if you don’t have the resources to have an HR professional look at your policies, I’ve put together some guidelines that you can follow:

  • Understand your company’s goals – begin by asking yourself what your company aims to achieve with these policies. Clearly define your objectives to inform your decisions.
  • Do your research – if you’re taking on this massive task by yourself, you should start doing research and rely on trusted sources. 
  • Have a chat with stakeholders in the business – Consult with various stakeholders in your business, as different perspectives may shape your HR policies. 
  • Make the wording clear and consistent – once you get to the writing, it’s important to be clear and consistent. HR policies can be complicated to get your head around, so if you start introducing jargon or long sentences, it may get even more confusing. 
  • Outline all procedures along with your HR policies – don’t forget to do a step-by-step guide of how your HR policies work in practice. This is especially important for policies like grievances or disciplinary procedures, ensuring that individuals know how to navigate these challenging situations.
  • Address potential loopholes – that’s where a professional might come in handy to understand where the wording may be up to interpretation and could pose a risk for your business.
  • Iterate as much as possible – Understand, adapt and adjust policies at all times, they’re not meant to stay forever the same. 
  • Store your handbook where your team can access it – don’t make information hard to access for your team, and make sure your handbook is accessible and everyone knows where to find it. 

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FAQs for HR policies 

What is an HR policy?
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An HR policy is a written document that helps outline guidance regarding issues and situations at a company.

An HR policy does several things:

  • describes the rights and responsibilities of both employees and employers
  • reflects your company values
  • ensures compliance with UK employment law
  • provides a layer of protection if your company is involved in a legal claim
  • fosters fairness and standardisation of procedures across your business
  • It's therefore important to tailor them to your size, industry and operational approach.
Who writes HR policies? 
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It really depends on the size of the company and who is responsible for HR. We’ve put some examples below of who can can have this responsibility depending on the size of your business: 

  • For small businesses: it can be someone without an HR qualification and who takes care of HR on top of their other duties. This is often the case when businesses don’t have enough work to hire a full time HR person. If this is your case, we would highly recommend the policies are reviewed by an CIPD qualified HR expert. 
  • For medium businesses: when businesses grow in size, they often start hiring an HR person, whether that’s to focus on the operational aspects of the company or the hiring strategy. Regardless, this person will also often end up taking care of HR admin and they can be an operations manager or an HR manager with a qualification. 
  • For large companies: in large companies, hiring is always on-going and there’s many aspects of HR to deal with, so it’s very common to have a full HR team made of 2 to 15 people (and sometimes more) to take care of admin and draft HR policies as needed. 
Which HR policies are required by UK law? 
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The HR policies required by UK employment law are: 

  • Health and safety policy 
  • Disciplinary and dismissal policy 
  • Grievance policy 

Once you’ve got all this covered, you’re safe. Be sure to have these in place or you could face a fine. 

What is the difference between HR policies, HR procedures and HR strategy?
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HR policies are intrinsically linked to HR procedures and HR strategy, but they're not exactly the same. They are your HR foundations and help you understand what to do in specific HR contexts and regarding employee issues.

HR procedures are step-by-step documents to help managers and HR personnel address specific situations such as disciplinary meetings, written warnings, etc. 

An HR strategy, on the other hand, gives the company an overarching goal in the long run – that can be expansion, company culture, working environment, etc.

Can I check other resources on HR policies? 
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Of course, here’s a bunch of links to helpful resources that you can have a look to enhance your knowledge: 

  • ACAS – Advisory, Consolidation and Arbitration service 
  • CIPD – The professional body for HR & People Development 
  • HR templates – have a look at our HR templates crafted by our CIPD qualified experts 
  • HR toolbox for small businesses – go to our small businesses hub to get your HR department sorted from scratch 
  • CharlieHR’s public handbook – have a look at our public handbook to learn more about our policies

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