Online policies and procedures to stay current
It’s important but tough to keep your policies and procedures up with the changing risks of COVID-19.
In Aotearoa, over the last 2 weeks and in the space of less than 24 hours, we’ve plunged from Alert Level 1 to Level 4 restrictions. Soon, we’ll be operating at different levels of restrictions. It’s complex. And it’s constantly changing.
So when it comes to your policies and procedures, you can’t rest on your laurels.
It’s important that your policies and procedures provide staff with the guidance they need to operate safely in the relevant levels of restrictions.
You can’t rely on what you did last time under lockdown.
The legal rules for the different alert levels have changed to keep up with new knowledge about the Delta virus and how it is transmitted. Even as I write this, workplace restrictions are being reviewed to see if there are ways to strengthen safeguards to prevent transmission of the virus to and by Essential Workers.
So it’s a moving feast when it comes to keeping up with Covid-related changes in the workplace.
Going online with your policies and procedures has never been more important
It’s never been more important to have your policies and procedures online so that your people can access them anywhere, anytime.
It might be a big shift, especially if you still prefer to print off and work with paper-based policies. But we can all adjust.
After all, we used to have cheques. Now they are all but gone. It was hard to imagine living without cash but since the pandemic, cashless has become the new norm.
How to go online
The first step is to identify when, who and in what circumstances your organisation uses and needs its policies eg are you subject to the Social Sector Accreditation or Health and Disability Standards? Do your volunteers and outreach workers need access?
On this basis, you can then consider what options might work best for you, your kaimahi and board. For DIY options – you could consider setting up your own set of policies on Google Docs or Sharepoint.
If you’re going with DIY, once you’ve decided on the option, you will need to review your policies. Consider and evaluate your policies against relevant law and other compliance obligations. If they’re not compliant you will need to update them.
Last step, upload them and set up access. Think about who needs access and to what and set up the permissions.
We’re so glad to offer our 24/7 online policy and procedure service
If you want ready -made access to online policies that are reviewed and updated, then our online policy and procedure service could do the trick.
It’s our most popular product.
Why? Because you get:
- online policies and procedures
- customisation with your brand, logo and unique processes
- your policies regularly reviewed and updated for law, regulation and other changes
- notes to support you to implement policies with kaimahi/staff.
Subscribers love the review and updating part of our service. They no longer have to worry about trying to keep up-to-date with law and can focus on their other mahi. They tell us a big load off!
Just do it – go online
Policy access anytime, anywhere, for your organisation is a key way of ensuring that outreach and remote service provision meet minimum quality standards.
Whatever way you want to do it – now is the time to go online and move away from messy Word files and outdated PDF documents that no one can find. It’s a no brainer!
It can be done and if you want support – get in touch.