Internal policy: do you know what it is and how important it is for your company?

Within any undertaking, especially in a company, it is very important to establish rules and norms that establish, among others, the culture[1] of that organization. Organizational culture, more than the basis for internal policies, phrases of values, mission and vision, is the basis for defining all standards of behavior that guide the development of the company and its relationship with its customers, suppliers and employees.

When we talk about internal policy, we are talking about some documents that, by stamping the standards of behavior of an organization, will guide all the activity of the company, either in its development or in its relations, and such documents should be based on pre-established principles and rules.

Defining guidelines is essential for the development of the company to occur effectively, that is, for your business to grow and develop based on a solid foundation, with characteristics that make sense with the current market. For example, nowadays, with the General Data Protection Law, having as a guiding principle the correct treatment of the data collected has become essential.

Internal policies can be instituted through internal regulations, career plans, codes of ethics or conduct, Compliance or corporate governance programs, let’s see:

• In the Internal Regulations the company may establish rights and obligations of its employees. It is in this document that the company can establish rules on the use of mobile phones, uniforms, access to social networks, etc. It is important to mention that the Internal Regulations must be in accordance with labor standards, that is, the internal regulations cannot establish a working day that is not in accordance with the CLT, among others.
• In the Career Plans, the company can create goals and objectives to be achieved so that its professionals are promoted, or even to change areas within the company.
• When we talk about the Code of ethics or conduct we are talking about the document that brings together the rules that must be followed by everyone in the company, that are part of the organizational culture and that can be used for instruction and consultation for people’s actions. That is, the mission of the Code of Conduct is to provide guidance on the conduct that should be followed by its employees with customers, suppliers and third parties.
• Compliance, on the other hand, aims to provide security and minimize the risks that the company may face, thus ensuring compliance with the acts, norms, laws, and regulations of the companies.
• And last but not least, we have Corporate Governance, which is the set of all the processes, laws, policies, institutions, regulations and customs of a company, thus regulating the way it will be managed, controlled and directed.

For the elaboration of an internal policy, specialized legal assistance is essential, since a technical team specialized in risk contingency, sustainable and ethical development, as well as our legal system, is necessary.

However, the good elaboration of organizational strategies cannot be restricted to only written documents, but in concrete activities, present and identifiable in the most diverse sectors and activities of organizations. Like a diet or physical exercise, it is necessary that for the internal policy to be really effective, constant training, supervision and adaptation of the company will be necessary whenever it is necessary.

It is not enough to write beautiful documents and wait for the magic to be done. Hard and continuous work is needed to ensure that a company’s internal policy is, in fact, effective and efficient, mirroring the reality of the business and its future and strategic expectations.

Giovanna Luz Carlos-lawyer, graduated in law, from Centro Universitário Padre Anchieta (2019), enrolled in the Brazilian Bar Association, São Paulo Section (OAB/SP) (2020). Postgraduate in Civil Procedure at Faculdade Damásio De Jesus. Attorney at TM Associates.

[1] organizational or business culture is the combination of behaviors, mission, attitudes, expectations, and values of a company. It’s what drives leadership and employees on a daily basis. Culture goes beyond written institutional norms, as it directly influences the actions of the company’s teams and guides the entire growth and development of the business.