What Should Be Covered in Your Employee Handbook
Your employee handbook is the integral resource your company depends upon to guide your employees’ actions regarding protocol, and it’s vital to complete this task with care. It gives your company a means of solving problems by approaching employee management correctly.
It is important to ensure that you distribute employee handbooks in the workplace so they are accessible, in addition to the copy you give to each member of your team. Review the materials periodically, make updates, and be sure to add answers to recurring inquiries not currently found in your manual. The Employee Handbook is a living document and should be updated regularly.
SOLV HR provides HR consulting Nevada and Nationwide appointments to discuss your leadership endeavors utilizing your human resources department for your business. We invite you to reach out to us for more information about what should your employee handbook cover.
What To Include in an Employee Handbook
Your code of conduct will be laid out in your employee handbook contents, as you give clarity about what is and is not allowed on company property or while representing your brand. This guide helps to protect the interests of all parties as it lays out rights and responsibilities as well as expectations of behavior. It can also contain sample copies of documents or examples of non-disclosure agreements, noncompete paperwork, and employee evaluation forms.
Human resources can set the tone for the company culture, creating a cohesive environment with uniform expressions of your established values and ethos. A new employee will often be required to read your company handbook within a specific period as a condition of being hired, providing a signature of proof of having read and understood its content.
Outline your protocol covering pay scales and how long a person must be employed to be considered full-time. Go over your benefits package and qualifying factors and your system for receiving time off, whether paid or unpaid.
Common Policies to Cover
Employee handbooks often outline guidelines for social media use, expressing what is acceptable and unacceptable. Your dress code should be elucidated as well as the consequences for failure to adhere to the stated protocol. Your manual can contain caveats where some material is more subjective or flexible, and a broad range of disciplinary measures should be stated in a general sense to protect against lawsuits.
Workplace safety is a necessary category of discussion, and this can include OSHA standards in addition to practices related to physical and emotional responsibility. Describe your internet and email use expectations as well.
Lunch breaks and other scheduled rest periods should be set forth, describing the conditions for their observance. Delineate smoking bans or areas where smoking is allowed and go over your substance abuse policy.
Legal Considerations
Your employee handbook contents need to inform staff of certain topics by law, and for a more detailed and precise list of these subjects, legal professionals can help. You may need to create several versions of the handbook if you operate in more than one state to accommodate differences in legislation.
Federal law dictates that employees are entitled to unpaid time off under the Family Medical Leave Act, and this is often used for maternity and paternity leave, to take care of an ailing relative, or to tend to one’s own health concerns.
Your state may require a workers compensation notice to inform staff of the benefits open to them if they are injured at work, and this may also include provisions for breastfeeding, disabilities, and military leave.
Equal Employment Policies should be included explaining that discrimination will not be tolerated on the basis of race, religion, age, pregnancy, or disability nor will hiring decisions or promotions be based on these factors. Additionally, it’s imperative to include the phone number, website, or other government contact information where staff can find out more or lodge a complaint.
Be sure not to violate the National Labor Relation Act in your procedures by inhibiting laborers’ ability to meet in concert for the purpose of bettering their work environment. Research the additional local, state, and federal regulations that need to be addressed in your employee handbooks.
HR Company Las Vegas for Businesses
Writing your employee handbook involves detailed and involved work, and your firm can benefit from guidance. SOLV HR understands the vital relationship between the human resources department and your staff, aiming to create personable rapport and close bonds. We offer consulting services to small and mid-sized businesses and welcome you to speak to us online, by phone, or in person.
