Write an Employee Handbook

Whether you have five employees or 50,000 employees, a properly drafted handbook can save you time and money. The primary goals of an employee handbook are to reduce litigation and promote good communication. It provides both a means for new employees to orient themselves with their new environment and a policies and procedures refresher for others. We will go over employee handbook basics, as well as, provide some sample policies.

The essentials of an employee handbook include:

• A disclaimer, at the beginning and the end of the handbook, to ensure that it does not create or imply a contract (at will relationship).
• An Equal Employer Opportunity (EEO) statement.
• Employer rules, regulations, and procedures.
• Employer policies that are designed to help employees.
• Employee benefits.
• Guidelines for termination of employment (disciplinary actions).
• State and local requirements (FMLA, workers compensation, harassment).
• An acknowledgement of receipt.

Keep It Short and Simple. A handbook should be easy to read and only as long as necessary to get the job done.

Common pitfalls include:

• Over promising,
• Inconsistency,
• Poor organization, and
• Inadequate disclaimers.

If a handbook is not going to be followed or utilized, it might be better not to have one at all. However, there is even a greater danger of lawsuits with government agencies when there is no written policy.