Open door policy (business)

An open-door policy (as related to the business and corporate world) is a policy in which a manager, CEO, president or supervisor leaves their office door "open" in order to encourage communication with the lower employees of that company. As the term implies, employees are encouraged to stop by whenever they feel the need to speak. Such a practice is viewed as a morale booster by letting employees feel as if they're able to openly speak with their boss about numerous issues face-to-face, rather than by other means, such as e-mail or voice mail.

The actual implementation of an open-door policy for the purpose of addressing grievances or complaints should be handled very carefully. According to most experts, it is always the preferred method to immediately solve the problems of the employee. The HR should be immediately called and the issue should be resolved there and then. This sends out a great signal to all the employees that their voice is being heard. Sometimes an open-door policy is seen as a way for companies to discourage the formation of labor unions. In other examples, commonly in college dorms, an open door policy means everyone's door must remain open" The idea remains the same, that having the door(s) open will make for a more comfortable and social school or work environment.