Conduct, Conflicts and Workplace Standards Policy Templates
This group of Conduct, Conflicts and Workplace Standards Templates gives employers clear, practical HR policies for managing behaviour, conflicts of interest and reputation risk, while supporting a respectful, professional workplace culture and protecting the organisation from grievances and claims. All these policies have been drafted and kept up-to-date by experienced HR Professionals and solicitors and reflect current legislation.
Personal Relationships at Work Policy
This Relationships at Work Policy template explains how to manage romantic, family and close personal relationships between colleagues, managers, contractors and clients. It requires disclosure where there is a potential conflict of interest, sets boundaries on intimate behaviour at work and allows the business to adjust reporting lines or responsibilities to protect fairness and objectivity.
Dress and Appearance Policy
The Dress and Appearance Policy sets out dress code, hygiene and presentation standards for employees, including when working remotely or on video calls. It covers formal or uniform requirements, religious and cultural dress, health and safety, and what is considered unacceptable, helping to maintain a consistent professional image and avoid discrimination risks.
Outside Business Interests Policy
This Outside Business Interests Policy controls secondary employment and external business activities which could conflict with the company’s interests, damage reputation or affect performance. It requires prior written approval for outside roles and investments above a set threshold, while recognising public duties and trade union activities.
Work-Related Social Events Policy
The Work Social Events Policy sets behaviour standards for staff at work parties, client events and other social functions. It addresses alcohol and drugs, harassment, inappropriate conduct, driving, and next-day attendance, ensuring work-related events are enjoyable but safe and aligned with the employer’s conduct rules and disciplinary procedure.
Political Activity in the Workplace Policy
This template policy has been drafted to enable employers and managers to set out guidelines to employees in respect of separating personal political beliefs from work. It restricts political discussions, campaigning, symbols, use of company systems and reputationally damaging activity, while confirming employees’ rights to engage in politics in their own time, reducing the risk of conflict, harassment and brand damage.
Employee Search Policy
The Employee Search Policy sets a clear framework for conducting personal searches to protect assets, enforce drugs and alcohol policies and support security. It covers authorisation, privacy, same-sex searching, witnesses, record-keeping and refusal to consent, aligning with equal opportunities and disciplinary procedures.
Used together, these HR policy templates form a coherent workplace conduct and conflicts framework for staff handbooks: setting transparent standards, managing relationships and external interests, governing behaviour at social events and in political expression, and providing a lawful, structured approach to searches. This supports consistency, legal compliance and a positive, professional working environment.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Two of our employees are in a romantic relationship and one manages the other. Do we need a written policy and what should it do? +
A written personal relationships policy is not legally required but is strongly advisable where one person manages or appraises the other, because a conflict of interest plainly arises. No UK law compels employees to disclose a workplace relationship, so without a policy the employer has little leverage and greater exposure to claims of favouritism, harassment or unfair treatment if the relationship ends. A good policy requires disclosure in those circumstances, allows reporting lines or responsibilities to be adjusted and sets clear standards of professional conduct. The Simply-Docs Personal Relationships at Work Policy template covers disclosure, reporting-line adjustments and conduct standards.
Can we set a dress code that covers religious and cultural dress, and what do we need to watch out for to avoid a discrimination claim? +
Yes, employers can set dress codes, but the legal risk comes from the Equality Act 2010, which protects against direct and indirect discrimination based on protected characteristics including religion and belief, sex, disability and race. A blanket ban on all religious dress or symbols is very unlikely to be justifiable in most private-sector contexts. Indirect discrimination can arise when a neutral rule (such as a no-beard policy) puts employees of a particular religion at a particular disadvantage and cannot be objectively justified as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. The Simply-Docs Dress and Appearance Policy covers religious and cultural dress, health and safety requirements and remote-working presentation standards, helping manage discrimination risk.
One of our employees wants to take on freelance work for a competitor. Can we require them to get approval first, and what should our policy say? +
Employers cannot automatically prohibit secondary employment, but a well-drafted Outside Business Interests Policy can require employees to obtain prior written approval before taking on any external role, client or investment that could compete with the business, affect performance or create a conflict of interest. Your policy should define what needs to be declared (paid and unpaid roles, shareholdings above a stated threshold, self-employment), set out who approves requests and explain the consequences of non-disclosure, up to and including disciplinary action. It should also recognise public duties and trade union activities, which have their own statutory protections. The Simply-Docs Outside Business Interests Policy covers all of these points.
We are planning a company Christmas party. What are our legal obligations to prevent harassment and misconduct, and does a written policy help? +
Because work-organised social events, even offsite and out of hours, count as an extension of the workplace, employers can be vicariously liable under the Equality Act 2010 for employee harassment or discrimination, and since October 2024 the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 imposes a proactive duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, including at work events and by third parties such as clients or guests. A written policy setting conduct standards, confirming disciplinary rules apply and addressing alcohol, next-day attendance and travel home is strong evidence of reasonable steps: the Simply-Docs Work-Related Social Events Policy covers all of these.
Can we stop employees from campaigning or expressing political views at work, and what can a written policy lawfully cover? +
Employers can lawfully restrict political campaigning during working hours, prohibit company equipment for party-political purposes and prevent employees implying the organisation endorses a party. However, dismissing someone solely for their political opinion or affiliation is likely to be unfair dismissal under the Employment Rights Act 1996, with no qualifying service period, and strongly held political beliefs may be protected philosophical beliefs under the Equality Act 2010. A written policy is therefore essential: it should set proportionate, consistently applied rules, separate workplace conduct from personal activity outside work and avoid monitoring political opinions, which are special category data under UK GDPR. Use the Simply-Docs Political Activity in the Workplace policy template.
We want to search employees' bags and persons on site. What do we need to have in place to do this lawfully? +
Employers have no automatic right to search employees, so you need authority in the employment contract or staff handbook, with staff clearly informed of the policy before joining or when it was introduced. Because consent can be withdrawn on the day, seek fresh consent each time: a bodily search without consent could constitute assault and criminal liability. Safeguards include only authorised personnel searching, same-sex searching for personal searches, a witness present, a written record of every search and outcome and a clear statement of what happens on refusal (typically disciplinary action, not immediate dismissal). GOV.UK warns a badly handled search or drug test could give rise to claims of discrimination, assault or false imprisonment. The Simply-Docs Employee Search Policy covers authorisation, consent, same-sex searching, witnesses, record-keeping and refusal procedures.
