Handbooks - Mandates or Guidelines?

In Libby Sartain’s book HR from the Heart, she writes - “HR is bound on all sides by rules and laws. And, yes, you certainly need to be regarded by the leadership as a trusted partner in keeping the company on the right side of legalities. However, I would like to add this: Break as many rules as you can. As long as your plans don’t violate employment or labor laws, SEC or FDA rulings, or any other legal restrictions, bend and break the rules wherever you feel that a fundamental HR value or principle is at stake.”

I couldn’t agree more. Handbooks and policies are often mistaken and mistreated as hard and fast rules and mandates, and the “spirit of the policy” gets completely overshadowed by the “letter of the policy.” Yes, consistency and precedent are very important considerations, but so are context, circumstances, and the human element. Handbooks and policies should function as guidelines that set expectations, not as “we must do x, y and z each time” in the face of common sense, reason or heart. This doesn’t mean that we don’t hold people accountable, nor does it mean that we don’t take action when needed. It just means that we should take a step back, and remember that handbooks and policies are developed for people and situations, neither of which are simple or straightforward, before moving ahead in a manner that all parties will regret.