What Should Be In An Employee Handbook?

Having an employee handbook is something you really should look into. For so many reasons, it makes good business sense.

It really doesn't matter how large or small your company is - an employee handbook is a great idea. Without some guidelines and expectations in place, you could be leaving yourself quite vulnerable.

Nowadays, larger companies should always have a very detailed handbook that shows the employees how to perform, act and appear in ways that are in the best interest of the company.

Smaller businesses probably need to have a little more flexibility to change and update their handbooks as situations arise or as more employees are added to the company.

There are certain things that are of major importance to include in just about any employee handbook:

• You definitely want to have some sort of employee dress code. This will depend on what kind of company you have and the image that you want to project to the world.
• You will want to include benefits, vacation, holidays and pay information.
• You will want to handle the issue of tardiness or absenteeism.
• Employee conduct is also very important. No one wants their employees fighting or working against each other. If you desire a teamwork environment, stress the importance of all employees respecting one another and making efforts to get along with one another.
• To save yourself from some legal issues and headaches, be sure to mention that sexual harassment is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Keep in mind that if your employee handbook mentions that a particular action or issue is not acceptable, it needs to be strictly enforced. If you have a no tolerance policy regarding sexual harassment and an employee comes to you complaining of harassment, it needs to be addressed immediately. If not, you open yourself up to lawsuits and big problems.

Depending on your type of business, you might need to deal with the issue of confidentiality. You can have confidentiality agreements or forms that should be signed by employees. That way, if you find out that they’re leaking information about your company, you can hold them liable for it.

Although it can be difficult to prove, having a confidentiality policy in place will discourage those who may be tempted to spread some secrets - it shows that you won't tolerate any breaches.

Nowadays, electronics policies can also be of vital importance. More and more companies are finding that their employees are spending quite a bit of time on the internet and a lot less time performing their job duties.

Having rules in place and enforcing them, can save you a lot of trouble and protect you from viruses and leaking of information. Plus, who wants to pay their employees to surf the internet? An electronics policy in your handbook can really help.

You also want to mention in your employee handbook what can and will be done if the need arises for discipline. How will warnings, suspensions or dismissals be handled? Cover all the bases that you feel are important. If you have doubts about anything, just get advice from a lawyer or another business owner.

Remember that an employee handbook can set the groundwork for how your employees behave and perform at work. It can help determine whether your business is built on rock or sand.