Workplace Policy

Workplace Policy

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Create workplace policies for a small or growing team
• Establish remote work guidelines, communication norms, and conduct expectations
• Document equipment, time-off, and professional development policies
• Build a lightweight employee handbook for a startup or small business

DO NOT use this skill for full HR compliance manuals, employment contracts, or legal compliance in regulated industries. This is for practical workplace policies. Consult HR counsel for legal compliance requirements.

Core Principle

WORKPLACE POLICIES SHOULD EMPOWER, NOT MICROMANAGE — CLEAR EXPECTATIONS WITH REASONABLE FLEXIBILITY ATTRACT AND RETAIN GREAT PEOPLE.

Phase 1: Company Context

Required Inputs

GATE: Do not proceed without company name, team size, and work arrangement.

Phase 2: Core Policies

Remote Work Policy

## Remote Work Policy

### Work Location
Team members may work from any location with reliable internet
connectivity. [Company] does not require a specific work location
unless job duties require it.

### Work Hours
- **Core hours:** [10am-3pm in team's primary timezone] — be available
  for meetings and collaboration during core hours
- **Flexible hours:** Remaining hours are flexible — manage your own
  schedule around deliverables
- **Expected weekly hours:** [40] hours for full-time team members

### Communication Expectations
- Respond to messages within [2-4] hours during core hours
- Update your status when unavailable for 30+ minutes
- Camera on for [team meetings / client calls / optional]
- Time zone awareness — do not schedule meetings outside someone's
  reasonable work hours without asking

### Home Office Requirements
- Reliable internet connection (minimum [25] Mbps recommended)
- Quiet space for video calls
- [Company provides / reimburses up to $X for] home office setup

Communication Policy

## Communication Policy

### Channel Usage
| Channel | Use For | Response Time |
|---------|---------|--------------|
| [Slack/Teams] | Day-to-day communication, quick questions | 2-4 hours |
| Email | External communication, formal requests | 24 hours |
| Video calls | Meetings, complex discussions, 1:1s | Scheduled |
| [Project tool] | Task updates, project discussions | Same business day |
| Phone/text | Urgent issues only | ASAP |

### Meeting Culture
- Default meeting length: 25 or 50 minutes (not 30 or 60)
- All meetings have an agenda shared in advance
- No-meeting blocks: [e.g., Tuesday and Thursday mornings]
- If a meeting can be an async update, make it an async update
- Meeting notes shared within 24 hours

### Asynchronous-First
- Write things down instead of scheduling a call when possible
- Use [Loom / recorded updates] for status updates
- Respect focus time — do not expect instant responses

Professional Conduct

## Professional Conduct Policy

### Core Expectations
All team members are expected to:
- Treat colleagues, clients, and partners with respect and professionalism
- Communicate honestly and constructively
- Meet commitments and deadlines, or communicate proactively when you cannot
- Protect company and client confidential information
- Represent [Company] positively in all professional interactions

### Anti-Harassment and Discrimination
[Company] maintains a zero-tolerance policy for harassment,
discrimination, or bullying based on race, gender, age, religion,
sexual orientation, disability, or any protected characteristic.

Report concerns to [designated person / HR contact].

### Social Media
- Do not share confidential company information on social media
- If posting about [Company] or industry topics, note that views
  are your own unless authorized to speak for the company
- Use good judgment — assume anything you post is public and permanent

### Conflict Resolution
1. Address directly with the person involved
2. If unresolved, involve your manager or team lead
3. If still unresolved, escalate to [founder / HR / designated person]

Equipment and Tools

## Equipment Policy

### Company-Provided
[Company] provides or reimburses for:
- Laptop/computer: [provided / $X stipend]
- Software licenses: All required tools provided
- Home office stipend: $[X] one-time / $[X] monthly

### Personal Devices
- [Company data must not be stored on personal devices / Use of
  personal devices for work requires approval]
- Two-factor authentication required on all accounts
- Devices must have screen locks enabled

### Return of Equipment
All company equipment must be returned within [14] days of
termination. Shipping costs covered by [Company].

Time Off

## Time Off Policy

### Paid Time Off
- PTO: [X] days per year (accrued [monthly / available immediately])
- [Unlimited PTO with minimum [X] days encouraged]
- Request PTO at least [1 week] in advance for planned absences
- Notify your manager as soon as possible for unplanned absences

### Holidays
[Company] observes the following paid holidays: [list holidays]

### Sick Leave
- [X] sick days per year, separate from PTO
- No doctor's note required for [3] or fewer consecutive days
- Do not come to work (or log on) when sick — rest and recover

### Other Leave
- Bereavement: [3-5] days for immediate family
- Jury duty: Paid time as required
- Parental leave: [X weeks paid / per company policy]

Phase 3: Customize and Review

• Adjust policies based on team type (employees vs. contractors)
• Ensure compliance with applicable state and federal labor laws
• Align policies with company values and culture
• Remove sections that do not apply to your business

Phase 4: Delivery

## Policy Rollout Checklist

- [ ] All policies reviewed by legal counsel (especially employment-related)
- [ ] Policies compiled into a single document or handbook
- [ ] Shared with all current team members
- [ ] Included in onboarding materials for new hires
- [ ] Acknowledgment form signed by each team member
- [ ] Annual review date set to update policies
- [ ] Stored in accessible shared location (not buried in email)

Example: 5-Person Remote Startup

Policies: Remote work (core hours 10am-2pm ET, flexible otherwise), Slack for daily communication (2-hour response time), no-meeting Wednesdays, $500 home office stipend, unlimited PTO with 15-day minimum encouraged, company provides laptop and all software. Professional conduct: respect, transparency, async-first communication.

Anti-Patterns

• Over-engineering for a small team — a 5-person startup does not need a 50-page handbook. Keep it lean and add policies as you grow.
• Policies that contradict culture — if you say you value autonomy but require hourly time tracking, the policy undermines trust
• No enforcement — policies without consistent enforcement are suggestions. Apply rules equally to everyone, including founders.
• Copying big-company policies — enterprise policies do not fit startups. Write for your actual team size and culture.
• Never updating — review policies annually or when the team grows significantly. What works for 5 people breaks at 20.

Recovery

• No policies and team is growing: Start with communication norms and conduct expectations — these are the most urgent. Add others as needed.
• Team member violating unwritten rules: That is a sign you need a written policy. Document the expectation and share it with the full team.
• Contractor vs. employee confusion: Contractors should not be subject to most workplace policies (hours, PTO, etc.) — this can trigger misclassification. Maintain separate guidelines.
• Policies feel too corporate: Rewrite in your brand voice. Policies do not have to sound like legal documents — they should sound like your company.