Many smaller to mid-size businesses today do not invest the time to have written policies and procedures. Is it because they don’t have time or think it’s necessary or a combination of both.
What if you and your backup person are out with the flu epidemic? Could someone step in and keep things running “business as usual”? As I plan to write up some P&P for one of my clients all these and other scenarios came to mind when it comes to the importance of creating them.
Here is a list of ideas to get you started:
1. Start with a list of job duties for each employee. What duties has someone been crossed trained on and which ones have not? What duties require attention every day and which ones can sit for a week or two?
2. Security is one issue why employees aren’t cross-trained in a company. Determine who can be trusted as well as who would be best fitted for learning someone else’s duties.
3. Give the employee in training ample time to learn the job and have that person practice filling in before their peer goes on an extended leave. Be realistic. There may be some errors but with practice, the trainee will catch on.
Will your business pass the audit test if an outside accounting firm audits your company’s policies? Will they conform to standard accounting principles?