CT Human Resources Consulting: The Importance of an Employee Handbook
In order to help you create a detailed employee handbook, it will be important to identify what is important to your business, both in keeping the employees informed and happy, as well as accomplishing the business objectives of the company. Nancy Cooper, chair of the labor and employment law group of Garvey Schubert Barer, calls the detailed employee handbook “a playbook [that] spells out the rules of the game for employees about what is expected of them.”
The success of this ‘playbook’ though, relies heavily on what you include and how you word policies. Certain policies will need to be in the handbook by law, so as a business owner it is important that you take the time to learn about local and state requirements, as well as federal requirements. A few types of law related factors you’ll have to include are:
- Family Medical Leave Policies
- Equal Employment and Non-Discrimination Policies
- Worker’s Compensation Policies
It addition to the facts that the handbook has to include, there are a few general disclaimers that every employee handbook should have:
- The Handbook is Not a Contract
- The Handbook Replaces All Previous Policies and Procedures
- Policies Are Subject To Change
Now on to the items that aren’t necessarily required by law, but you’ll want to put in your employee handbook anyway for clarity and general information:
- Company History
- Paid Time-Off Policy
- Employee Behavior
- Payment Methods and Promotions
- Benefits
- Confirmation Page (a page signed by the employee and returned to you to be kept in their file)
At Sinclair Risk and Financial Management, we provide HR services that are based on the unique needs of your business. The details of the employee handbook are critical due to today’s legally charged environment. Give us a call at (877) 602-2305 to discuss how we can develop creative, unique solutions that are in step with an ever-changing and challenging economic landscape that affect your business, insurance and risk management strategy, and profitability.