Policies & procedures

Policies and guidelines are an important part of our culture and our working life at Concordia. They have been created to provide structure and clarity to assist employees in navigating through unclear situations and provide guidance and support to assure positive conclusions.

Awareness and comprehension of Concordia policies benefit both employees and the university, as they provide procedures and measures to ensure clear expectations and outcomes.

Policy awareness campaign

September 11, 2012

This year, in order to support our employees in better understanding our policies, we are launching a policy awareness campaign that will culminate in the application of an employee confirmation on the my empath portal.

From September 12 to October 26, 2012, there will be weekly policy stories posted on the NOW web and events section (concordia.ca/now), and highlighted in the weekly NOW e-newsletter. These stories include links to the specific policy.

Additionally, managers are requested to read seven additional policies that will be identified in weekly reminder emails. After the seven-week period, there will be a pop-up box when accessing the my empath portal, requesting confirmation that the policies have been read. Once confirmed, full access to the portal will be granted.

Frequently asked questions

1. I have worked at the university for 25 years, why do I have to confirm reading the university policies now?

Concordia employees have always been expected to familiarize themselves with the policies that are relevant to them. It is important for all employees to understand the content of the policies to assist them in making the best decisions, particularly in unclear or ambiguous situations. Confirmation that every employee has become familiar with the policies that are most relevant to them is simply a process by which to ensure that everyone has read and understands the policies significant to them.

2. I am a manager with staff, why do I have to read seven additional policies?

The additional policies were selected for their relevance to managers. There are policies where a manager’s leadership is important for the safety of employees, such as the policy related to emergency situations.
Additionally, there are policies related to travel, expenses and procurement that are more relevant to managers than to staff.

3. I am a manager with no staff, how many policies do I need to read?

You are expected to read the same seven policies that all employees are required to read and any others that would be related to the type of work you do.

4. Does everyone working at the university have to confirm having read the assigned policies?

Yes, all employees, current and new are required to confirm that they have read the selected policies on an annual basis.

5. Who do I contact if I do not understand a policy?

Employees may speak with their managers or contact the originating office of the policy, which is identified on each policy.

6. What are the seven policies that I need to know as an employee?
• Code of rights and responsibilities (BD-3)
• Code of Ethics and safe disclosure policy-(BD-4)
• Policy concerning the protection of personal information (VPIRSG-9)
• Environmental health and safety policy (VPS-40)
• Security policy (VPS-20)
• Policy on harassment, sexual harassment and psychological harassment (HR-38)
• Signing authority policy (BD-1)
7. What are the seven additional policies I need to know as a manager?
• Emergency evacuation and fire policy (VPS-49)
• Policy on working outside the hours of operation or in isolation (VPS-6)
• Policy on travel outside of Quebec (VPS-53)
• Travel and other allowable expenses policy (VPF-3)
• Procurement policy (CFO-20)
• Policy on computer provisioning (VPS-32)
• Policy on computing facilities (VPS-30)