Workplace Policy Template Bundle

Why written policies matter more than you think

Most small businesses run on unwritten expectations until something goes wrong — a bullying complaint, a social media incident, a dispute over leave. At that point, the absence of a clear written policy hurts twice: the situation is harder to manage, and your position is weaker if it escalates to the Fair Work Commission. A policy you wrote calmly, before the problem, is worth far more than one drafted in the middle of it.

Policies also do quieter work. They let a manager say "here's our process" instead of improvising, and they make the business less dependent on one person carrying all the rules in their head — a theme we cover in founder dependency.

The six policies in the bundle

Code of conduct

Sets the baseline for behaviour at work: honesty, respect, conflicts of interest, use of company property, and what happens when standards aren't met. Keep it short enough that people actually read it — a code nobody has seen offers little protection.

Bullying, harassment and discrimination

This is the policy regulators and tribunals look for first. It should define the behaviours (including sexual harassment, which employers now have a positive duty to prevent), name who complaints go to, describe the investigation process, and promise no victimisation of complainants. Check the Fair Work Ombudsman and your state anti-discrimination body for the current legal framing.

Social media

Covers both official accounts (who posts, who approves) and personal use that identifies the business. The goal is clarity, not surveillance — spell out what crosses the line rather than trying to police private opinions.

Work health and safety

States your commitment, allocates responsibilities, and sets out incident reporting and consultation arrangements. WHS duties come from your state or territory regulator, so align the policy with their current codes of practice.

Leave

Explains how annual, personal, parental and other leave is requested, approved and recorded. Entitlements come from the National Employment Standards and any applicable award — reference them rather than restating numbers that can change.

Flexible work

Sets out how requests are made and considered. Certain employees have a legal right to request flexible arrangements, and employers must respond within the timeframes the Fair Work Act sets — the policy should reflect the current rules rather than a fixed process from years ago.

How each policy should be structured

• Purpose — one or two sentences on why the policy exists.
• Scope — who it covers (employees, contractors, volunteers) and where (including remote work and work events).
• The standard — plain-English rules, with examples of what is and isn't acceptable.
• Process — how to raise an issue, who decides, and expected timeframes.
• Consequences — what breaches can lead to, without promising a fixed outcome.
• Version control — date adopted, date last reviewed, who owns it.

Making them stick

A policy binder that sits in a drawer does nothing. Introduce each policy at induction, have staff acknowledge them in writing (keep the acknowledgement on file), and re-cover the high-risk ones — conduct, harassment, WHS — in a short annual refresher. When you update a policy, tell people what changed, not just that it changed.

Review cadence and a word of caution

Diarise a review at least annually, and sooner whenever employment law shifts — annual wage reviews, changes to the Fair Work Act, or new WHS codes of practice. These templates are general information for Australian businesses; policies that will be tested in a dispute deserve a check by an employment lawyer or HR adviser before you rely on them. For how policies fit into a broader operating system, see how to systemise your business.