Written by Aprylle M. Wallace

My favorite season is Spring. The late, great Lou Rawls captured the essence of the season well when he sang “Well, it's Spring again. The grass is turning green again. The warm air feels so good. Summer's not too far away.” https://genius.com/Lou-rawls-spring-again-lyrics

Winter typically taps company resources for calendar year-end/year-begin activities such as performance evaluations, benefits open enrollment, corporate audits, etc. Each Spring brings an opportunity for organizations to meaningfully review, refresh and declutter their policies, processes and procedures.

Spring cleaning is good for the health of organizations. The same key benefits of household spring cleaning activities as outlined in a recent Cleveland Clinic article, Good for the health of an organization: Cleveland Clinic article: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-spring-cleaning-isnt-just-good-for-your-home-but-your-mood-toocan be applied to the workplace. Taking the time during this season to review, refresh, and declutter at work can:

- Provide a sense of accomplishment – Completing a major task on a to-do list can be energizing.

- Decrease stress – Routinely engaging in the act of “starting a new” boosts the human spirit.

- Create a peaceful environment – With clarity (and decreased clutter) comes kindness

- Improve focus – Teams spend less time on what needs to be done and more time on how to get things done in the most effective and impactful ways.

- Reduce hazards – Organizational risk is reduced.

So where does one start? Think about the policies, processes and/or procedures that are often referred to and start there. For example:

1. Employee Handbook/Policies – The review should go beyond the usual compliance considerations from local, state, federal, and (sometimes) international laws. Try asking the following questions when reviewing a policy: Other than for compliance reasons, what is the policy’s purpose? Do employees understand the policy? Has an established practice rendered the policy moot?

2. Job Descriptions – In a recent Monday Myth Buster, Compensation and HR Group dispelled the myth that only recruiters need to be concerned about job descriptions. Nothing can be further from the truth, as most employees work for someone other than the recruiter. At a minimum, job descriptions impact culture, performance (evaluations) and compensation. People managers should be engaged in the process of reviewing job descriptions on a routine basis – not just when there is an opening on their team.

3. Employee Files – All company records should be kept and destroyed as per statutory andcompany requirements. These three actions can be applied to the decluttering activity of any type of company file, including employee files:

a. ASK - What does this type of file need to contain?

b. GO – Through files and purge

c. CONSIDER – Digital storage options

Does your company conduct Spring cleaning? If so, what areas are prioritized?

Do you need an expert to help your organization review and refresh your employee policies, job descriptions, or an HR compliance audit? Contact me to see how AW Squared Advisors, LLC can help.

©AW Squared Advisors, LLC, 2025