What does HR compliance mean for an NGO?
HR compliance is the habit of following the rules that cover your staff, and being able to prove it. The rules come from three places: national and local law, donor agreements, and your own policies. When one is stricter than the others, follow the strictest.
This article gives a starting map. It is not legal advice. Employment law is different in every country, so check each point with a qualified local adviser.
Which areas should you cover first?
Most compliance problems fall in five areas.
- Contracts. Every person who works for you should have a written agreement that matches their real situation: role, pay, hours, start date, notice and end date.
- Leave and working time. Annual leave, sick leave, parental leave, public holidays, overtime and rest periods. These are often set by law.
- Conduct and safeguarding. A code of conduct, a policy against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, and a way to report concerns safely. Donors usually require these.
- Records and data protection. What you keep about each person, who may see it, and how long you keep it.
- Deadlines. Work permits and visas, contract end dates, probation reviews, medical checks and policy renewals.
What does a simple compliance checklist look like?
Use a table like this and run it once a year.
| Area | Question | Proof to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Contracts | Does every staff member have a signed, current contract? | Signed contract in the staff file |
| Contracts | Are fixed-term contracts renewed or ended before they lapse? | Renewal or end letter |
| Leave | Do leave balances match policy and local law? | Leave records and policy |
| Conduct | Has every person signed the code of conduct this year? | Signed declaration with date |
| Safeguarding | Is there a named focal point and a reporting channel? | Policy and notice |
| Records | Can you show who may open each record type? | Access list |
| Deadlines | Are permits and visas valid for the next 90 days? | Expiry list |
Add rows for your own country and donors.
How do you stop deadlines from slipping?
Most expensive HR failures are missed dates, not hard decisions. A work permit lapses. A fixed-term contract rolls on without anyone choosing it. A probation period ends with no review.
Build a single calendar of dated events:
- contract end dates, with a reminder 90 days and 30 days before,
- permit, visa and identity document expiry,
- probation reviews,
- annual renewal of code of conduct declarations,
- policy review dates.
Give each date an owner. A date without an owner is a date nobody watches. For one common case, see our guide to tracking contract renewals.
What proof do donors and auditors ask for?
Donors and auditors rarely ask whether you have a policy. They ask for evidence that you follow it. Typical requests are:
- a signed contract and a pay record for a sample of staff,
- timesheets that support salary charged to a grant,
- proof that staff signed the conduct and safeguarding declarations,
- recruitment files showing a fair process,
- the list of who may see sensitive records.
Keep each piece where you can find it in minutes. Evidence in personal inboxes is almost the same as no evidence.
How do you keep the work small?
You do not need a big HR team to stay compliant. A short routine is enough:
- Keep one master checklist and one calendar.
- Review the checklist once a year and record findings and fixes with a date.
- Review the calendar every month for the next 90 days.
- Report any serious gap to the executive director and board, with a plan.
For more on a related duty, see collecting policy attestations from staff.
What should you do when you find a gap?
Every organization finds gaps. What matters is how you respond. When a check shows a problem, such as an expired permit or a missing contract:
- Record what you found, the date and who found it.
- Fix the immediate risk first. Renew the permit, or sign the contract.
- Ask why it happened, and change the step that failed.
- Tell the executive director, and the board if the gap is serious.
- Check again after thirty days.
A short written trail of found, fixed and checked shows donors and auditors that your controls work, even when they catch an error.
Where EMPOBase fits
People & HR tracks contract type, contract end dates and identity documents such as passports, work permits and visas with their expiry dates. Signed safeguarding and code of conduct declarations are kept as renewable records with an expiry, and staff see a banner at sign-in when one is due. EMPOBase does not tell you what the law in your country requires, so confirm the rules with a local adviser and set your own policy limits. The documentation lists each People & HR area in detail.