Which workplace policies a small business needs

If you run a small business or a not-for-profit without an HR team, “we should get some policies” usually means one of two things: a funder asked for them, or something awkward happened and nobody knew what the written rule was.

I don’t think you need fifty policies on day one. I do think you need a short, honest set that people can find and follow. Templates are a starting point, not legal advice — get advice on the higher-risk ones before you publish them.

Start with the everyday rules

Most small workplaces get the most value from a small core:

Code of conduct — how people are expected to behave at work.
Equal opportunity and anti-discrimination — how you prevent and respond to discrimination.
Bullying prevention and Respect at Work / sexual harassment prevention — the positive duty to prevent harassment is not optional.
Grievance and dispute resolution — a clear path when someone has a problem.
Work health and safety — including psychological health, not only physical hazards.
Disciplinary action — how you deal with alleged misconduct without rushing.
Hours, rostering and overtime, plus the right to disconnect.
Leave and pay, super and wage compliance.
Privacy and acceptable use of technology.

That list lines up with what I put first in the Workplace Policy Pack guide. Fill in the square brackets, add your letterhead, walk people through them at induction, and record who was given them.

Add the ones that match how you work

Bring in the rest when they apply. Working alone if people travel or close up by themselves. Motor vehicles if people drive for work. Child safety if children are part of your work. Psychosocial hazards if the work has high emotional load, violence risk, or chronic understaffing. Mark anything you deliberately don’t adopt on the register, with a date and a reason.

One set beats a pile of free PDFs

Free single templates exist — Fair Work and others publish useful ones. They’re fine when you only need one form. What small employers usually struggle with is consistency: different layouts, different definitions, no register, and no acknowledgement trail. A pack gives you one layout, a register, and a way to show staff were given the rules.

Next step

Pick the thirteen “start with these” policies, put a review date on the calendar, and stop collecting unread PDFs. The Workplace Policy Pack is the set I sell for that job, or see the publications page for the forms pack and bundle. If you’d rather have them written for how you work, use the contact form or book a free discovery call.

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