BSBSUS501A Learner Guide V1.0

BSBSUS501A
Develop workplace
policy and procedures
for sustainability
Learner Guide
Australian Institute of Technology Transfer© | Version 1.0 | 2017

© Australian Institute of Technology Transfer (AiTT) 2017
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BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability
Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Develop workplace sustainability policy ........................................................................................................................................... 6
Define scope of sustainability policy .......................................................................................................................................................6
Gather information to plan and develop policy ..............................................................................................................................6
Identify and consult stakeholders .............................................................................................................................................................. 7
Include strategies in policy at all stages of work ...........................................................................................................................8
Make recommendations for policy options .......................................................................................................................................9
Develop policy that reflects the organisation's commitment to sustainability ................................................. 10
Agree to methods of implementation ................................................................................................................................................. 10
Communicate workplace sustainability policy ............................................................................................................................. 12
Promote workplace sustainability policy ............................................................................................................................................ 12
Inform those involved in implementing the policy .................................................................................................................... 13
Implement workplace sustainability policy ....................................................................................................................................14
Develop and communicate procedures ............................................................................................................................................. 14
Implement strategies for continuous improvement................................................................................................................. 14
Responsibility for tracking continuous improvements ........................................................................................................... 15
Examples of sustainability policies .......................................................................................................................................................... 16
Review workplace sustainability policy implementation ...................................................................................................... 18
Document outcomes and provide feedback ..................................................................................................................................18
Investigate successes or otherwise of policy .................................................................................................................................18
Monitor records to identify trends ........................................................................................................................................................... 19
Modify policy and or procedures as required ................................................................................................................................. 19
Sustainability Policies Exemplars .......................................................................................................................................................... 21
Introduction
In the past the only motive for business was profit but in recent decades the expectations and
responsibilities of businesses and corporations have grown. Sustainable practices recognise the impact
an organisation has on the environment.
Sustainability and environmental responsibility is now seen as a strategic part of business that impacts on
public image and branding, compliance with regulations and laws and a means to manage costs and
inputs to increase profit.
Governments, consumers and the public are more aware of the environmental impact of society and
expect organisations to act in the best interests of the community and future generations.
The World Commission on Environment and Development defines sustainable development as:
“Sustainable development seeks to meet the needs and aspirations of the present
without compromising the ability to meet those of the future.”
Our Common Future (1987), WCED, Oxford University Press, Oxford
Sustainability has been defined as:
"meeting the needs of current and future generations through an integration of environmental
protection, social advancement and economic prosperity".
Western Australian State Sustainability Strategy, Hope for the Future, 2003
Sustainability issues include:

• climate change
• air quality
• water availability and quality
• biodiversity loss
• finite resources
• heritage loss
• waste generation
• noise
• genetically modified foods
To maximise the ongoing success of sustainability practices:

• encourage staff to generate ideas for change
• think strategically and develop a plan with ways to measure results
• research what other similar organisations have done
• estimate savings and benefits to build a strong argument for change
• regularly communicate findings and celebrate progress with your whole organisation.
Develop workplace sustainability policy

The quality of a sustainability policy is very important because it impacts throughout a workplace and
requires changes to work systems and budgets. A thorough policy development process will ensure that
good information has been gathered, stakeholders have been consulted and the policy is effective and
aligned to the values of the organisation.
Define scope of sustainability policy

Scope is about how far or how much detail you will look for your sustainability policy.
It may refer to:

• A site or building
• A project or job
• A department or team
• A process eg production, marketing, delivery, sales
• The whole workplace
The scope is about:

• what will be covered by the policy
• who is responsible
• what resources may be needed
Being clear about the scope is important because it will determine the type of strategies that are needed,
the budget, the people involved and how long the policy will take to implement.
Gather information to plan and develop policy

Sources of information include:
• Laws and regulations – these will detail mandatory actions and guidelines for the policy
• Regulatory authorities – government agencies can provide advice, information and examples of
best practice
• Staff with expertise – you may have employees specialising in environmental management and
employees who can use their knowledge and experience to identify how work systems and
procedures can be made more sustainable
• External specialists – there are people trained in sustainability that could be hired as consultants
• Secondary research – articles and blogs are published in magazines and online regarding
sustainable policies
Identify and consult stakeholders

Stakeholders are individuals and groups both inside and outside the organisation who have some direct
interest in the organisation's actions, products and services. Stakeholders are a great source of
information and feedback for policy development. They must also be kept informed about changes that
will impact on them.
Examples of stakeholders:
The scope for the policy will help you decide who to consult and the methods to use. How you consult
with stakeholders is determined by the budget and the timeframe. You may hold stakeholder meetings,
produce reports and policy documents or set up a virtual meeting so people in different regions can
participate.
A policy development team could be formed with a range of stakeholders as members. You may call for
suggestions and submissions or focus on asking stakeholders questions to gather the information you
need. Stakeholders are a valuable source of feedback. The draft policy and proposed strategies could be
distributed to stakeholders for their feedback so they can be refined before implementation.
Including the community representatives as stakeholders will ensure that sustainability policies have
public support.
Include strategies in policy at all stages of work

A workplace t is part of a long process that involves obtaining materials, using them to create products
and services and delivering them to customers. This refers to the life cycle of products.
Sustainability can be incorporated into each stage of the cycle to maximise environmental management.
From where the raw materials come from, to how products are made, to how products are packaged and
transported, to what happens to packaging and products when they are no longer needed.
Policy strategies include:

• Run competitions to motivate staff eg rewards for suggestions or actions by work teams to be
more sustainable, incentives for staff and teams to reduce their carbon footprint
• Ask for volunteers to join a sustainability group or ‘Green Team’ to develop and monitor
sustainability policies
• Promote the idea of car pooling to reduce car use and carbon footprint
• Encourage people to bike or jog to work eg provide showers, bike racks
• Train staff in sustainability eg reducing energy use, increasing recycling, reducing waste
• Include sustainability in goals and values – this makes increasing sustainability mandatory and
linked to work performance
• Raising awareness amongst stakeholders eg start a sustainability newsletter, discuss it at team
meetings, include a statement in email signatures, display posters and brochures in the
workplace, advertise your commitment to the environment
Make recommendations for policy options

You will need to research the cost, timeframes and likely effectiveness of the
proposed changes. Some changes will be more expensive initially and you
will need to be able to justify the spending. Over time costs may decrease or
the savings may eventually be greater than the costs of implementation.
Assessing policy options in terms of their cost, timeframe and effectiveness is

easier if you consult stakeholders. Staff from the finance department can help with likely costs,
employees with technical expertise can help with timeframes and internal and external specialists
can help with assessing effectiveness.
Assessing effectiveness is difficult, as it is with any plan. On paper it may look great but turning a plan
into reality involves many things that are out of your control. Conduct a risk assessment in terms of
what could go wrong or have a negative impact on effectiveness. You can then decide which option has
the lowest risk and is most likely to succeed. Decide of a method and process to assess and rank
options and apply it consistently.
Assess options in terms of:

• How long it will take to see benefits
• Overall costs
• The value of the benefits
• Level of business risk
When setting up this process you may have decided how recommendations and final options are
selected. There may be a Green Team deciding, senior management may compare options and
choose, department or project managers may decide or it may be based on a staff vote.
Develop policy that reflects the organisation's commitment to sustainability

To demonstrate that your organisation is committed to sustainability, you will need to ensure that
staff are constantly thinking about ways to improve sustainability. A way to do this is to incorporate
sustainability into strategic planning.
This means setting goals and KPIs for sustainability at the strategic, tactical and team levels.
Achieving sustainability goals will be an area that must be achieved and reported on. Achieving
sustainability targets would be linked to performance management.
An organisation may focus their policy on areas relevant to their products and services. For example,
a mining company may focus on reducing pollution, protecting biodiversity and rehabilitation of
sites. A mechanic may focus on the safe disposal of oil and chemicals and recycling spare parts
such as tyres. An accountant may focus on ways to reduce energy use in the office and digital
documents to reduce paper use.
Sustainability also presents a business opportunity. The systems and technologies you may develop
for sustainability may be able to be sold to similar organisations. Being more sustainable will help
build a positive reputation in the community. Being more efficient and reducing the use of energy
and resources will improve your bottom line by reducing costs.
A commitment to sustainability can also help build a more innovative culture as employees get in
the habit of reflection, looking for improvements and thinking outside the box.
Agree to methods of implementation

There must be agreement and commitment from management to implement the sustainability
policy. If there has been consultation with stakeholders along the way, agreement will be easier to
achieve. Stakeholders have been involved in the development of the policy and are informed about
measures and strategies. Stakeholders may have also been involved in the development of KPIs and
goals for the policy.
A policy document may be signed by stakeholders to establish agreement. A clear plan for
implementation may also be distributed for approval.
Keep stakeholders informed of progress and changes to the policy and implementation plan. They
may have agreed at the start but by keeping them involved and informed they will continue to
support the policy and provide leadership to their teams.
Communicate workplace sustainability policy

As with any plan or policy, it won’t succeed if people don’t know
about it. Once a policy has been developed it must be
communicated to all stakeholders and promoted to motivate
them to commit to its success and achieving sustainability
targets.
Promote workplace sustainability policy

Promoting your sustainability policy is about educating staff and maintaining support for it. You will
also need to promote it to other organisations you work with such as suppliers and contractors.
The aim is to educate people about the policy and to motivate them to change the way they work.
This can be done by promoting the benefits of sustainability.
Here are some possible benefits to promote:

• Reduction in costs
• Increased profitability
• Enhancing reputation
• Recognition from government and industry bodies
• Compliance with environmental regulations
• Links to incentives and rewards for staff
You can promote these benefits in a variety of ways:

• Create a website or add a page to an existing website about your commitment to
sustainability and your proposed changes
• Posters and brochures in the workplace
• Emails and newsletters to investors, customers, suppliers and staff to keep them updated
• Get involved with the local community and advertise locally:
▪ use stands at a supermarket
▪ signs and billboards
▪ talks at local schools
▪ sponsor a local sports team
▪ support community projects eg staff volunteer for community events
Inform those involved in implementing the policy

Staff must have clear information about the aims of the policy, the changes and actions they must
do and the responsibilities of team members to successfully implement the policy. Clear information
will make the success of the policy more likely.
Expected outcomes
By using SMART goals for the policy, stakeholders will see specific targets that are achievable and
measurable. For example, reduce our use of paper by 50% by the end of the quarter. If the current
usage is 50 cases of paper per month, the aim is to reduce paper to 25 cases per month. Expected
outcomes also take the form of the benefits such as reduced costs and reduced ecological footprint.
Activities to be undertaken
Now you need to address the activities you want staff to take for your goals to be achieved. These are
detailed in action plans to implement the sustainability policy. High level action plans may need to be
translated into tasks and changes for teams and projects.
For the reduction of paper by 50% example, staff need to be told to:
• Only print or use the photocopier when necessary
• Use scrap paper for notes and printing draft documents
• Print double-sided
• Use electronic communication wherever possible and avoid printing out electronic
communications
Assigning responsibilities
You will need to delegate responsibilities to implement the plan. Staff need to know who to go to when
they need help and guidance. You could assign a Green Team to promote sustainability practices. They
could be a first point of call for problems. Or responsibility for implementing and monitoring actions
could be given to team leaders or department managers.
In the example of reducing paper by 50%, a supervisor could be given responsibility for:
• Setting a good example
• Ensuring everyone in their team knows where scrap paper and recycling bins can be found
• Ordering paper
• Monitoring paper usage and printing
Implement workplace sustainability policy

Action plans and procedures are used to implement the policy
and achieve sustainability goals. Procedures must be monitored to
ensure they are consistent with sustainability aims and to make
adjustments and improvements as things change.
Develop and communicate procedures

You will need to think about the best approach to communicate plans and procedures. You may
need a poster or to distribute copies of the procedure to work teams. Think about the use of images
and diagrams to make information engaging and easier to understand for diverse staff.
When communicating procedures ask:

• Who is the target audience?
• What information do they need to know?
• What format will best suit the information and the audience?
Implement strategies for continuous improvement

Continuous improvement can be implemented
through the Plan Do Check Act model.
The PDCA cycle involves:

• Planning the change
• Doing the change
• Checking the change
• Acting to refine and formalise the change
Plan
Identify what you want to achieve based on good information. Set KPIs for improvement. Develop
action plans to achieve the KPIs and set a budget. Assess risks and list resources you will need to
implement the plan. Consult your team to develop the plan. You may use a tool like 5 Whys to
identify the main cause of a problem and plan for improvement.
Do
Consult workers and communicate the plan and the benefits of change. You may also talk to clients
about the changes and how they will impact on them. Team members will understand what is
needed and can agree on how to implement the plan. Organise resources such as people,
equipment and documentation. Lead your team to implement the improvements.
Check
Monitor performance to ensure the action plan is being followed. Look at costs, purchasing and
resource use. Ask for feedback and talk to team members and clients. Compare performance to the
KPIs. Investigate the causes of mistakes and poor performance so problems can be solved.
Act
Gather information and assess the changes. Learn from mistakes and problems to adjust the plan.
Write policies and procedures to formalise the new way of operating. This may involve implementing
the change across the workplace and making it the SOP for all areas.
It is an ongoing process. If changes are made then they can be reviewed to see how further
improvement can be made. But it is important to give a new process a chance to work.
Strategies to help develop a continual development culture:

• Train staff and keep them informed of changes and progress
• Encourage staff to share new ideas
• Use constructive feedback to motivate staff
• Use rewards to motivate staff
• Celebrate successes to recognise staff effort and to provide examples of best practice
Responsibility for tracking continuous improvements

Your workplace may decide to establish a Green Team. The Team will consist of staff from across
the workplace so each member can track changes in their area. Team, department or project
managers could be assigned responsibility for continuous improvement. They are leading the
implementation of the sustainability policy so they monitor changes and provide feedback on
progress.
Tracking methods include:

• Regular audits and spot checks
• Team meetings once a week about procedures
• Ask staff regularly for ways to improve
• Complaints, feedback and suggestion forms
• Compare progress to sustainability targets
Examples of sustainability policies

There are many examples of policies workplaces can implement. There are models and best
practice that can be adapted or a workplace may develop innovations based on their needs.
We will look at 4 examples.
Ecological footprinting
Measuring and tracking an organisation’s ecological footprint establishes a base from which to
improve. The success of sustainability policies can be measured by calculating the footprint over
time. An ecological footprint is the consumption and impact of an organisation on the environment.
It measures the amount of land and water consumed by an organisation.
A carbon footprint considers the amount of carbon an organisation produces and how it can be
reduced.
ISO 14001:1996 Environmental management systems

The international Standard details how to develop an environmental
management system which enables an organisation to take into account legal
requirements and information about their environmental impacts.
The Standard represents best practice and provides a model for sustainability
policy.
Triple Bottom Line reporting

Triple bottom line reporting considers 3 aspects of performance:
1. Profit
2. Community
3. Environment
It demands that an organisation be managed to optimise 3 bottom lines. When making decisions
and business plans, organisation must consider their impact on finances, society and the
environment.
A Green Team
To build a safety culture, organisations have a Safety Committee, strategic planning is carried out by
a leadership group and there are also committees and teams focused on quality. This approach
formalises the strategy, creates a mechanism for staff involvement, draws on expertise of staff and is
part of a communication channel for change and workplace issues. In the same way an organisation
could have a ‘Green Team’.
The team could be responsible for developing sustainability policies, to run audits and make
recommendations and develop and implement action plans. Teams could communicate with and
educate staff and gather their ideas and feedback about such things as energy, waste and water
saving changes.
By supporting this process the organisation’s leadership demonstrate their commitment to

sustainability and show that it is an important ongoing part of the what the organisation does.
The Green Team could be responsible for:

• placing stickers near light switches and office equipment to remind people to switch
them off
• recycling instructions in kitchen and waste disposal areas
• using incentives to reward staff action and to keep people motivated
• training staff in such things as double-sided printing and efficiency settings on office
equipment
• conducting environmental assessments to establish a baseline and set targets
• establishing a list of preferred green suppliers
• running information sessions and emailing tips to staff
• reporting back to staff about progress and outcomes
Review workplace sustainability policy implementation

A sustainability policy will be a success if it is managed. Monitoring
changes and compliance and making adjustments when needed will
make long term commitment more likely.
Document outcomes and provide feedback

You may have to give feedback to stakeholders and key personnel
regarding:
• Feedback from staff, clients and suppliers

• Audits and inspections
• Progress and outcomes eg costs, savings, energy and resource use
• Changes to procedures and work practices
• Rewards
You will need to decide on the best form of communication while also checking your policies and
procedures regarding the type of communication to use. Reporting requirements may have been
agreed to in the planning for the policy, otherwise there would be standard procedures for the writing
and distribution of reports.
As sustainability policies and strategies require changes to work practices and impacts on costs and
profit, stakeholders must be provided with reports. Documentation is also important to track
progress, compare progress to targets and to negotiate additional purchases and budget outlays.
Investigate successes or otherwise of policy

Investigating the successes or failures of a policy ensures that you learn from it and find ways to
refine and improve it. There may have been changes and events that were not anticipated in the
planning.
What to investigate:
• Feedback from staff, suppliers and customers
• Which procedures are being completed correctly
• New procedures that are not being followed
• If rewards and incentives are being awarded consistently
When looking at areas for improvement you will need to look at:
• Non-compliances with new procedures
• Negative feedback
• Skills and understanding of staff - do they need more training?
Monitor records to identify trends

Collate the evidence you have gathered from your investigations and monitoring.
Records you may need to monitor are:

• Regular audit and spot check documentation
• Meeting notes/minutes
• Complaints, feedback and suggestion forms
• Staff incentives/rewards
• Disciplinary statements for staff.
A trend in this context is a pattern or general tendency appearing in the results and feedback. For
example, you may find that people are being rewarded for recycling. This suggests that the recycling
procedures and policies are clear and everybody is happy with them.
You may also find, for example, that people are being disciplined for:
• Not turning computers off at the end of the day
• Not reducing margin settings so that printers use less paper
• Not printing double-sided
If a trend is identified, the new procedures for electronic equipment are not working effectively.
Modify policy and or procedures as required

You should now try to find solutions for the problems identified and modify the policy and procedures
accordingly.
You could perhaps consider:

• Eliminating the need for a procedure eg automatic lighting, default 2-sided printing
• Altering procedures to improve their clarity
• Checking to see if all staff understand the procedures
• Reinforcing requirements through communication and training
Strategies to overcome a lack of communication:

• Create a communication plan
• Examine if there is a communication breakdown. Are the managers passing on correct
information? Is there a department or team that is not getting the message?
• Employ more than one method of communication e.g. posters, emails, website information,
presentations, meetings. This allows you to keep staff aware and prevent them from
forgetting about the policies and procedures in place.
Sustainability Policies Exemplars
We, the 1400 independently owned and operated grocers of Australia,

operating under the banners of IGA, Foodland and Friendly Grocer, are
committed to being responsible members of the communities in which we
live and work. We understand that sustainability means that we seek to
improve our economic, social and environmental, performance without harming the ability of future
generations to enjoy the same economic, social and environmental conditions that we do today.
We will endeavor to continuously improve our sustainability performance, and conduct our business
in a socially responsible manner while reducing the cost of doing business to ensure that we are the
strong third force in grocery retailing in Australia.
We will do this through embracing opportunities and managing risks, including by participating in
the Metcash led Sustainability@Retail and Community Chest programs.
The independent grocers of Australia will:
• Comply with all relevant environmental legislation and adhere to regulatory standards at
local, national and international levels as required;
• Actively prevent pollution
• Ensure we act in a socially responsible manner in regards to the management of our
people, our communities and resources;
• Integrate principles of sustainability into decision making;
• Support our suppliers, customers and communities to become more socially responsible
and sustainable;
• Communicate our sustainability actions;
• Commit to continuous improvement of sustainability performance.
The independent grocers of Australia will seek to engage the active support of all employees and
stakeholders. We expect to implement initiatives that will reduce costs, carbon emissions, waste,
water use, and deliver other business benefits such as positive listing on shareholder indexes and a
reduction in risk. Accountability and responsibility to act in a socially responsible and sustainable
manner is everyone’s responsibility at IGA.

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BSBSUS501A

Australian Institute of Technology Transfer© | Version 1.0 | 2017

Develop workplace sustainability policy ........................................................................................................................................... 6

Define scope of sustainability policy .......................................................................................................................................................6

Gather information to plan and develop policy ..............................................................................................................................6

Identify and consult stakeholders .............................................................................................................................................................. 7

Include strategies in policy at all stages of work ...........................................................................................................................8

Make recommendations for policy options .......................................................................................................................................9

Develop policy that reflects the organisation's commitment to sustainability ................................................. 10

Agree to methods of implementation ................................................................................................................................................. 10

Communicate workplace sustainability policy ............................................................................................................................. 12

Promote workplace sustainability policy ............................................................................................................................................ 12

Inform those involved in implementing the policy .................................................................................................................... 13

Implement workplace sustainability policy ....................................................................................................................................14

Develop and communicate procedures ............................................................................................................................................. 14

Implement strategies for continuous improvement................................................................................................................. 14

Responsibility for tracking continuous improvements ........................................................................................................... 15

Examples of sustainability policies .......................................................................................................................................................... 16

Review workplace sustainability policy implementation ...................................................................................................... 18

Document outcomes and provide feedback ..................................................................................................................................18

Investigate successes or otherwise of policy .................................................................................................................................18

Monitor records to identify trends ........................................................................................................................................................... 19

Modify policy and or procedures as required ................................................................................................................................. 19

Sustainability Policies Exemplars .......................................................................................................................................................... 21

Sustainability has been defined as:

Sustainability issues include:

To maximise the ongoing success of sustainability practices:

Develop workplace sustainability policy

Define scope of sustainability policy

It may refer to:

The scope is about:

Gather information to plan and develop policy

Identify and consult stakeholders

Include strategies in policy at all stages of work

Policy strategies include:

Make recommendations for policy options

Assessing policy options in terms of their cost, timeframe and effectiveness is

Assess options in terms of:

Develop policy that reflects the organisation's commitment to sustainability

Agree to methods of implementation

Communicate workplace sustainability policy

Promote workplace sustainability policy

Here are some possible benefits to promote:

You can promote these benefits in a variety of ways:

Inform those involved in implementing the policy

Implement workplace sustainability policy

Develop and communicate procedures

When communicating procedures ask:

Implement strategies for continuous improvement

The PDCA cycle involves:

Strategies to help develop a continual development culture:

Responsibility for tracking continuous improvements

Tracking methods include:

Examples of sustainability policies

We will look at 4 examples.

ISO 14001:1996 Environmental management systems

Triple Bottom Line reporting

By supporting this process the organisation’s leadership demonstrate their commitment to

The Green Team could be responsible for:

Review workplace sustainability policy implementation

Document outcomes and provide feedback

• Feedback from staff, clients and suppliers

Investigate successes or otherwise of policy

Monitor records to identify trends