Weekend 2 Sunday: Why are personnel policies so ambiguous?

This was a question I struggled with as I completed the policy assignment. Policies are written in ambiguous terms so they can be applied to a broad range of situations. Vague policies result in debate and are open to different interpretations. When policies are too specific this creates additional administrative burdens in terms of application. Working in a district where policies are too specific would require constant revisions and adding more stipulations and/or exceptions to existing policies. Take for example inappropriate dress. As an administrator, I’d want a vague or general policy, such as “instructors should dress in a professional and appropriate manner during contract hours.” In this scenario, I could set the precedence for building specific guidelines. I could tell my staff that Fridays are “Casual” days or the only weekday when jeans and gym shoes are acceptable for instructional staff. A policy that was specific or gave a precise structure, would not allow for deviation or application to novel situations. If the policy concerning dress code read “Instructors cannot wear jeans, gym shoes, shorts, tee-shirts etc….” my job would be that of a manager, policing agent, and/or policy enforcer. In addition, if an instructor was wearing something that was clearly inappropriate but not mentioned on the list, then what?