Policy brief and purpose
The {Company’s name} workplace open door policy reflects our commitment to foster flexible communication and transparency between managers and employees. We want to ensure that employees' ideas and feedback are welcome and valuable to the growth of the organization.
Scope
Every employee is encouraged to open up to their managers about their ideas, perspectives, or feedbacks. In return, the managers are expected to not only make themselves available but also to create an environment where employees’ ideas are welcomed and their issues resolved quickly.
Both parties are expected to foster an environment of trust and mutual respect to enhance individual performance, team collaboration, and success.
Employees should contact HR if they have any further questions concerning the open door policy.
Policy procedures
Permitted topics of discussion
It is important that you indicate the topics that managers and employees are allowed to discuss when they reach out to their managers.
Employees can meet with managers to:
- Ask for feedback {For example, A software engineer asking for feedback about a particular software they worked on}
- Ask questions about a subject {For example, An employee asking questions about the company’s future plan for them}
- Express a complaint or concern {For example, An employee pointing out the problem with a company’s product}
- Ask for a resolution to a dispute with another employee {For example, An employee asking for help in resolving their conflict with another colleague}
- Make suggestions for change {For example, An employee seeking a change in their work from home routine for better work balance}
Unpermitted topics of discussion
It is also important to highlight the topics managers and employees should stir clear off to prevent abuse of policy among employees.
Employees should not meet with managers to:
- Criticize other employees work {For example, an employee personally attacking another employee for a mistake they committed}
- Discuss other employees personal issues {For example, An employee discussing a colleague’s marital status or family problems}
- Seek favors from a manager by touting accomplishments {For example, An employee touting a team’s accomplishment as their’s so they could get promoted or bonuses}
- Gossip about work-unrelated matters {e.g. An employee talking about sports or entertainment with the manager}
