05 Jan Employee Handbook Basics
We all know that the most exciting part of starting a new job is receiving your employee handbook… right?! Yeah… not so much, but these are actually very important tools in any workplace. An employee handbook is an effective tool used to communicate expectations and rules to everyone in the workplace.
Employee handbooks provide clear communication on a variety of topics related to the workplace and explain the relationship and responsibilities of the employee as well as the employer. They establish guides for the workplace and protect the employer from a variety of liabilities in doing so.
When building your employee handbook, begin by consulting your state’s employment laws to ensure that your handbook is compliant with state regulations. Some of the key and necessary elements of all employee handbooks include:
- A disclaimer,
- An introduction,
- An Equal Employment Opportunity section,
- An attendance policy,
- A non-harassment policy, and
- A fraternization policy, to name a few.
You can also include any additional employment policies that you’d like, but always make sure that they are non-discriminatory, and we always recommend having an attorney review your handbook prior to distributing it amongst your team in order to protect yourself first.
When putting together your employee handbook, keep in mind these three things
#1: Your Handbook is a Guide
This is a guide for the employer and the employee. It should include information on a variety of behavioral and procedural expectations.
#2: Your Handbook Provides Legal Protection
The legal protection applies not only to owners and managers but also to the employees at your company.
#3: Your Handbook is Universally Accessible
By that, we mean that it needs to be readily available to anyone and it should be written so as to be understood by everyone at your workplace.
With a well-prepared employee handbook, you can drastically reduce not only your liability by clearly laying out the expectations and procedures of your workplace. If you have any questions about your business’ specific liability concerns, we would be more than happy to discuss them and determine how best we can protect your business!
Call: 860-437-7282 today!
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