---
name: workplace-policy
description: "Creates workplace policies covering remote work, equipment, communication, and professional conduct. Use when establishing rules and expectations for your team."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Workplace Policy

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Create workplace policies for a small or growing team
- Establish remote work guidelines, communication norms, and conduct expectations
- Document equipment, time-off, and professional development policies
- Build a lightweight employee handbook for a startup or small business

**DO NOT** use this skill for full HR compliance manuals, employment contracts, or legal compliance in regulated industries. This is for practical workplace policies. Consult HR counsel for legal compliance requirements.

---

## Core Principle

WORKPLACE POLICIES SHOULD EMPOWER, NOT MICROMANAGE — CLEAR EXPECTATIONS WITH REASONABLE FLEXIBILITY ATTRACT AND RETAIN GREAT PEOPLE.

---

## Phase 1: Company Context

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Company name** | "What is your company name?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Team size** | "How many people are on your team?" | 2-10 |
| **Work arrangement** | "Remote, hybrid, or in-office?" | Remote |
| **Team type** | "Employees, contractors, or mix?" | Mix |
| **Policies needed** | "Which policies do you need? (remote work, communication, conduct, equipment, PTO)" | All core policies |
| **Company values** | "What are 2-3 core values that should shape the policies?" | Autonomy, transparency, results |

**GATE: Do not proceed without company name, team size, and work arrangement.**

---

## Phase 2: Core Policies

### Remote Work Policy

```
## Remote Work Policy

### Work Location
Team members may work from any location with reliable internet
connectivity. [Company] does not require a specific work location
unless job duties require it.

### Work Hours
- **Core hours:** [10am-3pm in team's primary timezone] — be available
  for meetings and collaboration during core hours
- **Flexible hours:** Remaining hours are flexible — manage your own
  schedule around deliverables
- **Expected weekly hours:** [40] hours for full-time team members

### Communication Expectations
- Respond to messages within [2-4] hours during core hours
- Update your status when unavailable for 30+ minutes
- Camera on for [team meetings / client calls / optional]
- Time zone awareness — do not schedule meetings outside someone's
  reasonable work hours without asking

### Home Office Requirements
- Reliable internet connection (minimum [25] Mbps recommended)
- Quiet space for video calls
- [Company provides / reimburses up to $X for] home office setup
```

### Communication Policy

```
## Communication Policy

### Channel Usage
| Channel | Use For | Response Time |
|---------|---------|--------------|
| [Slack/Teams] | Day-to-day communication, quick questions | 2-4 hours |
| Email | External communication, formal requests | 24 hours |
| Video calls | Meetings, complex discussions, 1:1s | Scheduled |
| [Project tool] | Task updates, project discussions | Same business day |
| Phone/text | Urgent issues only | ASAP |

### Meeting Culture
- Default meeting length: 25 or 50 minutes (not 30 or 60)
- All meetings have an agenda shared in advance
- No-meeting blocks: [e.g., Tuesday and Thursday mornings]
- If a meeting can be an async update, make it an async update
- Meeting notes shared within 24 hours

### Asynchronous-First
- Write things down instead of scheduling a call when possible
- Use [Loom / recorded updates] for status updates
- Respect focus time — do not expect instant responses
```

### Professional Conduct

```
## Professional Conduct Policy

### Core Expectations
All team members are expected to:
- Treat colleagues, clients, and partners with respect and professionalism
- Communicate honestly and constructively
- Meet commitments and deadlines, or communicate proactively when you cannot
- Protect company and client confidential information
- Represent [Company] positively in all professional interactions

### Anti-Harassment and Discrimination
[Company] maintains a zero-tolerance policy for harassment,
discrimination, or bullying based on race, gender, age, religion,
sexual orientation, disability, or any protected characteristic.

Report concerns to [designated person / HR contact].

### Social Media
- Do not share confidential company information on social media
- If posting about [Company] or industry topics, note that views
  are your own unless authorized to speak for the company
- Use good judgment — assume anything you post is public and permanent

### Conflict Resolution
1. Address directly with the person involved
2. If unresolved, involve your manager or team lead
3. If still unresolved, escalate to [founder / HR / designated person]
```

### Equipment and Tools

```
## Equipment Policy

### Company-Provided
[Company] provides or reimburses for:
- Laptop/computer: [provided / $X stipend]
- Software licenses: All required tools provided
- Home office stipend: $[X] one-time / $[X] monthly

### Personal Devices
- [Company data must not be stored on personal devices / Use of
  personal devices for work requires approval]
- Two-factor authentication required on all accounts
- Devices must have screen locks enabled

### Return of Equipment
All company equipment must be returned within [14] days of
termination. Shipping costs covered by [Company].
```

### Time Off

```
## Time Off Policy

### Paid Time Off
- PTO: [X] days per year (accrued [monthly / available immediately])
- [Unlimited PTO with minimum [X] days encouraged]
- Request PTO at least [1 week] in advance for planned absences
- Notify your manager as soon as possible for unplanned absences

### Holidays
[Company] observes the following paid holidays: [list holidays]

### Sick Leave
- [X] sick days per year, separate from PTO
- No doctor's note required for [3] or fewer consecutive days
- Do not come to work (or log on) when sick — rest and recover

### Other Leave
- Bereavement: [3-5] days for immediate family
- Jury duty: Paid time as required
- Parental leave: [X weeks paid / per company policy]
```

---

## Phase 3: Customize and Review

- Adjust policies based on team type (employees vs. contractors)
- Ensure compliance with applicable state and federal labor laws
- Align policies with company values and culture
- Remove sections that do not apply to your business

---

## Phase 4: Delivery

```
## Policy Rollout Checklist

- [ ] All policies reviewed by legal counsel (especially employment-related)
- [ ] Policies compiled into a single document or handbook
- [ ] Shared with all current team members
- [ ] Included in onboarding materials for new hires
- [ ] Acknowledgment form signed by each team member
- [ ] Annual review date set to update policies
- [ ] Stored in accessible shared location (not buried in email)
```

---

## Example: 5-Person Remote Startup

**Policies:** Remote work (core hours 10am-2pm ET, flexible otherwise), Slack for daily communication (2-hour response time), no-meeting Wednesdays, $500 home office stipend, unlimited PTO with 15-day minimum encouraged, company provides laptop and all software. Professional conduct: respect, transparency, async-first communication.

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Over-engineering for a small team** — a 5-person startup does not need a 50-page handbook. Keep it lean and add policies as you grow.
- **Policies that contradict culture** — if you say you value autonomy but require hourly time tracking, the policy undermines trust
- **No enforcement** — policies without consistent enforcement are suggestions. Apply rules equally to everyone, including founders.
- **Copying big-company policies** — enterprise policies do not fit startups. Write for your actual team size and culture.
- **Never updating** — review policies annually or when the team grows significantly. What works for 5 people breaks at 20.

---

## Recovery

- **No policies and team is growing:** Start with communication norms and conduct expectations — these are the most urgent. Add others as needed.
- **Team member violating unwritten rules:** That is a sign you need a written policy. Document the expectation and share it with the full team.
- **Contractor vs. employee confusion:** Contractors should not be subject to most workplace policies (hours, PTO, etc.) — this can trigger misclassification. Maintain separate guidelines.
- **Policies feel too corporate:** Rewrite in your brand voice. Policies do not have to sound like legal documents — they should sound like your company.
