Recognize that the final component of the design and implementation of effective policies is uniform and impartial enforcement. As in law enforcement, policy enforcement must be able to withstand external scrutiny. Because this scrutiny may occur during legal proceedings—for example, in a civil suit contending wrongful termination— organizations must establish high standards of due care about policy management.
Consequentially, state that an employee who is punished, censured, or dismissed because of a refusal to follow policy and is subsequently able to demonstrate that the policies are not uniformly applied or enforced, the organization may find itself facing punitive as well as compensatory damages.