One of the most effective ways to foster a solid working relationship between
an employer and an employee is to establish frequent and honest communication.
For an employer, creating and maintaining an employee handbook is a clear way to
do this. A written set of company policies and procedures give both workers and
management consistent guidelines for how to deal with employment issues that
will naturally arise. Often distributed at the start of an employee’s tenure,
handbooks have the advantage of immediately conveying that a company is a
welcoming, positive place to work, that will act fairly and predictably, but
will not tolerate counter-productive behavior.
Before setting out to create
an employee handbook it is important to remember that, while it is a great way
to articulate company policy, it is not a contract. To avoid giving any
impression to the contrary, absolute language like “never” or “always” or “must”
should be avoided when possible. While a company should set clear
procedures, it does not want to limit its possible course of action in the
future. Similarly, it is important to note that policies in a handbook
that an employer has no intention or capability of enforcing can serve the
opposite of the desired effect. Employees will lose confidence in management if
it says one thing and does another. It is best to compose and, when necessary,
modify the employee handbook according to existing company policy, rather than
to lean on hollow threats or wishful thinking.
With these pitfalls in mind, the actual contents of an employee handbook can
be very straightforward. Distilling and assembling the company’s policies and
practices into written language may be challenging, but there are some obvious
places all companies can start. In addition to an introduction or statement of
company philosophy or purpose, a table of contents and statement of equal
employment opportunity are also important early additions. A conspicuous
disclaimer that makes clear the handbook is not a contract is essential and
often important to state at the beginning.
In determining what to include in its handbook, an employer should decide
what it hopes to accomplish with its employee handbook. If yours is a casual
workplace, or if you want a short handbook, it may be best to keep it simple and
create separate documents to communicate more complicated policies such as those
relating to health benefits or retirement plans. Regardless of the tone you
chose to adopt, handbooks are the perfect place to outline day-to-day policies
governing timekeeping, overtime, payroll information, smoking, worker safety,
grievances, breaks and lunch time, dress code, substance abuse and computer use.
The clear, written nature of a handbook also makes it ideal for outlining
disciplinary action. Employers can take the opportunity to differentiate between
excused and unexcused absences, articulate the need to call in before missing a
day of work and warn of repercussions that may come with pattern absenteeism
such as repeated sick days on Mondays and Fridays. Detailing these policies in a
clear way helps prevent employees from complaining of unfair treatment and saves
management from having to make on-the-spot judgment calls that could come back
to haunt it.
An employee handbook can also be a good place to delineate a
company’s intolerance of sexual harassment and discrimination. With policies
such as these it is especially important to make sure that the handbook not only
harmonize with company rules but also with applicable law. Of course, no part of
an employee handbook should outline policies that contradict the law. Periodic
review of a company’s handbook by legal counsel is necessary to ensure that your
policies are consistent with the ever-changing business and employment
laws.
As essential as maintaining the handbook, is keeping it well distributed to
all employees. Having employees sign for receipt of their copy is an effective
way of tracking distribution and ensuring that there is no confusion over the
handbook’s contents and non-contractual nature. Annual distribution of handbooks
also insures that everyone has the most up-to-date company policies freshly in
mind.
Marshaling the resources to create, maintain and distribute an employee
handbook can seem daunting, but the rewards of keeping managers and employees on
the same page and working comfortably are invaluable for any company.
