Terms of employment are often formulated in an overcomplicated way
Do you recognise this? You are a manager of a department and would like to give one of your employees a promotion. You start by finding out the applicable regulations. Then you have to search for the right article in the terms of employment. You read the article, read it again and after reading it 3 times, you still don't understand exactly what it says...
Terms of employment are often formulated in an overcomplicated way. The structure of existing regulations is complex because texts have been copied, moved and adapted over time. Of course, the texts must also be legally correct. This complexity makes it difficult for employers to apply the terms of employment properly and for employees to understand exactly which agreements apply.
This can be changed! Terms of employment can be made simple and understandable.
Here are some tips if your organisation wants to get started with this:
1. Create a project plan with clear commitments on:
> who will be in the lead
> who should be involved, your stakeholders
> what the planning is
2. Follow this successful process:
> Step 1: define the principles, writing style and structure of the new terms of employment
> Step 2: formulate new text proposals per article
> Step 3: discuss the proposals regularly with your stakeholders
> Step 4: present the text proposals in such a way that it is immediately clear which adjustments are being proposed, old texts versus new text proposals
3. Apply these simplifications:
> Create a logical structure
> Use short sentences
> Include as few legal texts as possible
> Delete unnecessary topics
> Limit annexes
> Make proposals for improvement - textual and substantive - for texts that are unclear or regulations that are impossible to implement