No matter what size your business is, an employee handbook is essential.
An employee handbook, also known as human resource (HR) policies, gives employees a detailed overview of policies that are specific to your organization along with other key procedures, guidelines, and employment benefits.
A good employee handbook will:
- Give Insight into Company Culture
- Communicate Company Policies and Set Clear Expectations for Your Employees
- Serve as An Introduction of Your Business To New Hires
- State Your Legal Obligations and Define Employee Righ
HR policies will help your business run more smoothly and will help defend your organization from employment-related claims and lawsuits, such as wrongful termination, harassment, and discrimination.
An employee handbook can be incredibly useful in building a positive workplace culture and employee engagement. While every company’s handbook is different, it should all contain some basics.
- Mission, Vision, Values
- Workplace Health and Safety
- Employment Policies Required by Law
- Work Schedules and Time Reporting
- Compensation and Performance Evaluations
- Paid and Unpaid Time-Off Policies
- Benefits Overview
- A Disclaimer that Your Handbook Doesn’t Constitute a Contract of Employment
Creating an employee handbook requires preparation and thoughtfulness, that’s why we are offering you a sample document that you can customize to your business operations.
While this is an excellent place for you to start, some aspects of employment law frequently change, like required paid time-off and parental leave. Additionally, each state has specific laws which employers must comply. Those requirements should be added to your handbook via an addendum.
That’s where Avery PRIME gives you an advantage.
Avery PRIME is a proactive program that provides commercially insured clients access to critical human resource support where we can assist with providing guidance on developing your policies.
Before you implement your new handbook, we recommend that you contact Tammy Spear, our Director of Human Resources and Special Programs/PRIME Director. She is SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) and SHRM-SCP (Senior Certified Professional) certified and can provide expert guidance on what should be contained in your handbook so it is a valuable communication tool to your employees.
*Please Note: This Employee Handbook communication serves as a guide and is not meant to be exhaustive or construed as legal advice. We always recommend that your employee handbook be reviewed by employment counsel to ensure that your policies are legally binding and enforceable.
