Employee handbooks must serve several important functions. Workers are interested in when they are paid, how their pay is calculated, what their fringe benefits will be and what time off (with and without pay) they will get. The government wants affirmative action and non-discrimination statements, as well as other required notices, and sets standards for communicating facts about employee benefits. The employer wants to motivate proper employee conduct, protect itself from employee claims and brag a bit about how wonderful it is to work for the employer.
To avoid unexpected traps, employers must carefully draft their handbooks not only to communicate their kind intentions and make employees aware of the benefits to which they are entitled, but also as a management tool to communicate the ground rules. When employees know what they are entitled to and receive it as expected, they are less likely to go to outsiders (unions, government agencies or lawyers). When employees know what is expected of them, employers are more likely to win lawsuits complaining about discharge or discipline.
I have written and/or reviewed scores of employee handbooks. I have developed a model Employee Handbook, and will integrate your organization’s current policies and procedures to create a cost-effective and dynamic document that will serve the interests of the organization and its people. Contact me so we can work together on this fundamental documentation.