A “lunch hour” policy may seem simple but lack of a policy may impact your productivity. Employees will often push the limits in small increments until the half hour you envisioned when established the company can creep up and steal 5 to 7% of the day for which you are paying.
If employees are required to use lunch time to entertain clients create a simple policy on who can entertain, a budget for these expenses such as $20 per person and when. Many companies have a policy on alcohol use at these lunches.
What is your view on employees extending lunch hour to complete personal errands? What is the procedure to request permission?
You may want to create a short report form for employees to indicate who was at the lunch, business discussed and benefit the lunch provided the company. The need to prepare the report may make the lunch process more productive.
What are the office hours? Are there certain hours that the employee must be on the job because the office or store needs to be open or can the hours be flexible? Establish a policy so you can correct poor behavior and so you have a standard to refer to if you need to terminate an employee that cannot be corrected.
If you are paying by the hour make it clear what your hours are not only lunch but start and stop time. Is the lunch paid work time? If it is paid you are getting seven or seven and a half hours work for eight hours pay. If you are paying your employees a salary then establish what you expect. If you have part-time employees, who has the authority to ask the employee to start early or stay late?
If you wish to give personal time off in exchange for working overtime or other service it need s to be done carefully so less diligent employees do not see time for one employee as a license for them to take time off.
A written policy will prevent you from being the bad guy. It will also keep you consistent. Remember a unwritten policy is not a policy.
Original content (c) Thomas Robinson
No comments:
Post a Comment