Positive Policies

So I'm settling in at this new job, and things are good. I'm starting to get a feel for how things work, and the dynamic between our managers. One of the things I've been tasked to do is create company policies. A few are in the works already, but I'm looking at all the options and wondering, which of these are really necessary? Which should be the priority? Which ones should I not even bother writing?

I think companies write more policies than they need, most of the time. You start trying to account for all the potential craziness, and you end up with a bunch of red tape. I'm much more a proponent of expecting people to generally act like adults, and have policies only for the stuff that needs detail (like the vacation accrual schedule, cause everyone wants to know when you're going to give them time off). Dress codes inevitably just bring more headache than clarity, just to name one example.

I see strictly-written Internet Use policies all the time, but I can't tell you the last time I saw one really enforced. And really, does it matter if your employees are using Facebook at work, as long as the work is getting done? If the work's not getting done, then deal with the productivity issue, not the Internet problem. If the work is getting done and they're still spending all kinds of time online, then challenge them more. Or give them a job that combines both - let them do internet research on ... something... and then they have an excuse for having the browser open all day.

On the same token, do we really need a policy about personal phone calls? Again, if someone is spending so much time on personal calls that their work isn't getting done, then address the productivity issue. How often do companies have policies that state "such and such is strictly prohibited" and then you see it happening all over the company every day. If you don't really care if it's happening, then don't make a policy to prohibit it. If you care that it's happening, then put in a safeguard to prevent it (i.e. internet filtering to keep people from their web email... though that's a dumb one too).

Our company is pretty laid-back; 75% of our employees work from home, and our corporate office has a jeans-every-day dress code. So I'm pondering the idea of writing "positive policies" - instead of using our policy manual to explain everything that's NOT ALLOWED, maybe we could explain what IS allowed, and what IS expected. Things like:

• Wear what makes you comfortable. We're cool as long as it makes everyone else comfortable too.
• Feel free to bring your cell phone to work. Half of you have it listed on your business card anyway, and your clients will probably be calling you on it. But be forewarned, if you have an annoying ring tone, don't be surprised if we throw it out the window.
• Be here when you need to be here. If you need to not be here, tell someone ahead of time.
• When you need to not be here, use your time wisely. Don't waste it on work stuff! That's what out-of-office messages are for. Pick someone to be the go-to person while you're gone, and then enjoy your vacation!
• Use the company computer for work first, but if you need to check your email or tweet while you're here, that's cool. Don't download anything that will infect our servers, and don't suck bandwidth. If you're not sure, ask someone. They'll be able to tell you pretty darn quick if you're sucking bandwidth.

It's just a beginning, and I'm sure some of these will need a LITTLE definition (I'm reminded of a friend who worked for an internet startup. They finally had to put a dress code in place. It was short and sweet: "wear clothes." I don't want to know what prompted that addition...). But the idea just sounds so much better than a list of thou shalt nots, doesn't it?

What other positive policies have you seen, or have you wished you could put into place? Got any examples? I'd love to see them!