how to create an employee handbook

By using our site, you agree to our. Distilled in-to an easy to read guide that helps new hires navigate their way around the organisation. Very basic skills are required to complete the information necessary to prepare your company policy manual. Read on to discover … Many companies create employee handbooks to outline policies, organizational structure and other corporate information. Copyright © 2020 SCORE Association, www.score.org, Resources to Help You Create an Effective Employee Handbook, No Handbook? In this guide, we’ll discuss how small to mid-sized businesses can create practical employee handbooks. Payment schedule (and payment methods available) 3. The first thing to know is that there is no law requiring you to have a handbook. There are 29 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 55,341 times. Digitizing the handbook has a variety of advantages, including making it more accessible at any time. All in all, the employee handbook allows the employer to establish a relationship of transparency and trust with an employee. With your values clearly identified, then think about creating policies that your employees will embrace. 6 tips to writing a great employee handbook. You should also note your company's policy on coffee breaks and lunch breaks, such as how long each employee is allowed for these breaks. Your employee handbook should be the road map for how to operate within your company–an introduction to your culture and a guide that your employees interact with on a regular basis. You should be able to find descriptions of your state's laws online. Create a visually-impactful employee handbook to welcome new employees. Step 3: Do Your Research. Be Flexible. At the end of the day, your employee handbook cannot read in generalizations or broad-brush policies. Some handbooks contain a statement that indicates an “at Will” relationship can be changed is if CEO or President of the company signs a statement indicating that … Such policies may include: As should not be a surprise to you, the employee benefits section is one of the most frequently referenced sections of your employee handbook. An employee handbook is given to new employees from the employer. No Problem! This will include topics employees care about, such as: 1. This template is formatted in MS Word for ease of use. Some organizations fall into the trap of being too specific in their handbooks, which … This is especially important if your employees often work in the field or off site. Here are four steps you can take to begin the process of creating your employee handbook. Here is more information about what the Introduction section includes: Include descriptions of exempt and non-exempt employees. A good place to start when thinking about your employee policies — whether specific to your attendance rules, your dress code, or your performance review process — is to think about your company's culture and values. Creating an employee handbook is a great way to make sure that your staff are aware and up to date with your company policies. Names like “employee handbook” and “staff manual” signal to your employees that the document is going to be long, laborious, and filled with boilerplate. An electronic handbook can range from a website to a mobile app. Full-time vs. part-time hours 4. Often having an employee handbook isn’t something most businesses think about until there’s a pressing need. At first I had no idea how to write one, and now I think I can write a pretty good handbook, thanks to this article. Here are tips on how to get your employees read it, too. In order to be successful, your employees have to be in alignment with your company's values, missions, and goals. A small business has several resources available to help them put together a comprehensive employee handbook. The culture you want to create should guide your policies and procedures — so it makes sense to at least draft a basic mission statement before designing your company's employee policies and procedures. Make sure you outline how employees can secure their electronic information and protect any passwords or company information on their computers. Done right, employee handbooks can boost productivity and employee engagement, assist in conflict resolution, and even protect businesses during legal battles.. Your employee handbook is likely one of the longest documents you’ll create and whilst it’s important to include a lot of information, it’s also important to make sure you don’t waffle on. % of people told us that this article helped them. A greeting from a higher-up in the business (e.g., the owner) is recommended. You may have a Human Resources representative who is responsible for addressing any harassment complaints in the workplace. Read more, Putting company rules in writing helps set expectations and reduces misunderstandings. The employee handbook is a packet of information, provided digitally, in-hand, or both, to every employee in the company. As a bonus, they have an employee handbook with annotations already created for you so it can be pretty painless to make necessary updates. With the perfect employee handbook of course! An employee handbook is an internal document in which you state your company’s mission, vision, culture, and legal aspects of employment. It's HARD working from home. One emerging best practice is creating an employee handbook addendum specifically built around modifications to work and workplace culture created by COVID-19. When is the annual open enrollment period? An employee handbook is the operating playbook and communication tool you and your team need to codify the rules of the road for working at your small business. This will keep your employees engaged in the handbook and make it feel accessible to them. You should outline these requirements in the handbook so employees are aware of how they should appear every day in the field. An employee handbook defines your company’s culture, procedures and key policies. By including this information in your handbook, you create both a new level of clarity and a new level of accountability for employees. Try these expert-level hacks. Unfortunately, most times it’s sad text in a Google doc that could easily be exchanged with any other company’s employee handbook. Your handbook likely won't describe all the specifics of, say, your health insurance plan, as those can be quite detailed (and that information can be provided separately). ", National Federation of Independent Business, http://wheniwork.com/blog/8-tips-on-how-to-write-your-first-employee-handbook/, https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/80424, http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/06/what-to-include-in-employee-handbook.html, https://www.sba.gov/starting-business/hire-retain-employees/employee-handbooks, http://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/whats-the-difference-between-exempt, http://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/employees/7-tips-for-creating-an-employee-handbook/#sm.00001ulmzacdyad9jsp51jzyqwlpg, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow, For example, you may state: “We at [Company Name] are confident you will find our company is a dynamic and engaging place to work, and we look forward to your contribution to our continued success. It helps boost employee morale, reinforce productive behavior, and maintain business standards. Our employee handbook is designed to help you create comprehensive, state-specific employment policies that are customized to your company's needs. Have a signature page. How to Create an Employee Handbook. Use clear and attractive language. Read on to … A good employee handbook protects you from possible liability while keeping your employees excited to come to work. However, essentials for an employee handbook include statements that: The employee handbook does not constitute an employment contract. This is important information, but should be shared in different mediums. Basically I have this project where I have to create an employee's handbook for my. Some handbooks contain a statement that indicates an “at Will” relationship can be changed is if CEO or President of the company signs a statement indicating that … You may want to opt for a more general discussion if you think the reporting process may change in the future. Whenever your employees have a question about a work-related policy, they should be able to turn to their employee handbook to dig up an answer. Having clarified what an employee handbook is and who needs one, let’s take a closer look at the purposes they serve. Create custom illustrations easily with icons (perfect for non profit employee handbooks, and employee handbooks for small businesses!) Pretty much every company has an employee handbook. Make sure you use an accessible tone and clear language in the handbook so it is easy for your employees to follow. A critical component of your employee handbook is the general information about being employed with your company. Set clear expectations for all new employees. Exempt employees are typically upper-level management and are excluded from laws governing minimum wage, overtime, and other wage practices. 6 tips to writing a great employee handbook. Moreover, a comprehensive employee handbook helps protect your business legally if anyone ever questions whether you've clearly communicated your policies. So we decided to make our employee handbook a little more creative and fun. An employee handbook is the operating playbook and communication tool you and your team need to codify the rules of the road for working at your small business. Not creating and maintaining a handbook, however, is one of the top human resources mistakes companies make. The instructions below may help clarify specific questions you have while creating your employee handbook. The Introduction to your Employee Handbook is more than just a few words about your company. Hiring policies 2. "Even if the employer chooses to create a fun and cool employee handbook, it should not lose sight of the fact that an employee handbook is a legal document," Zoller said. You may already have access to other company's handbooks through friends or relatives. This empowered the staff and gave them a voice while also ensuring that the new handbook was read by all staff members. You can create an employee handbook that includes guidelines and rules around compensation, employee benefits, and your company's standard of conduct. Passing out employee handbooks can not only make a new hire feel more equipped to handle his or her day-to-day work, but it can increase that new hire’s efficiency right off the bat. 7 purposes of an employee handbook. Accordingly, this allows the business at large to operate more smoothly and efficiently. This will include topics employees care about, such as: Keep in mind that some of this material, such as overtime pay rules and workers' compensation coverage, are at least somewhat dictated by federal and state or even local laws. An outdated employee handbook can spell trouble! If you choose a simpler solution, like a navigable PDF, remember to include: Intuitive navigation: One click can go directly to any policy or section, and a drop down table of contents can be viewed from any page. Author: Douglas Zucker, Bauch Zucker Hatfield LLC It is important for employers to document policies and procedures in writing to ensure consistency in employee management as well as to make sure that all employees and supervisors are familiar with their rights and obligations with respect to the employer. Employee Manuals are long and include a large volume of information about your company culture, performance expectations, dress codes, mobile phone policies, legal statements and much more. As you start thinking about and planning out your employee handbook, you might realize that you haven't formalized many of your policies or that you still need to consider more thoughtfully what some of your policies should be. You should also have guidelines around appropriate use of the computer and what sites employees can and cannot access. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ In the digital age, familiarity with Microsoft Office’s Word program can greatly help a human resources manager in creating an employee handbook. Employee handbooks are the easiest way to disseminate important information to your employees about the policies, procedures and expectations of the business. You should also explain the criteria for enrolling in benefits and when you can change benefits, such as in the event of marriage or the birth of a child. Thus, be sure to include a disclaimer that states the employee handbook is not a contract, to protect you against such concerns. You should outline the amount of time allowed for the death of a family member and for sick leave. Employment is "at-will," and that either the employer or the employee may terminate the employment at any time, with or without notice or reason. The Employment Law Handbook by The Lunt Group also provides links to a wide variety of both federal and state legal resources, including a state-by-state breakdown of employment and labor laws. With more than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford is a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. As the small business owner, think about your personal values and what you want to emphasize. Your employee handbook allows you to navigate not only your business’ policies, but also your brand and your company’s vision.. Avoid using passive voice or addressing abstract entities (e.g. That said most employee handbooks include similar topics and types of information. 5 “Must-Have” Employee Policies for Any Small Business, Need more information? In particular, note any conduct that might result in immediate dismissal, such as drug and alcohol use, theft, harassment, violence, or other serious offenses. You should also discuss the company's policies on the safety and security of all employees. Katie Evans-Reber and Steffi Wu of Gusto (YC W12) talk about the importance of creating an employee handbook and how to go about doing it. Funded, in part, through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. As a marketing agency, this makes us cringe. Maintain a positive workplace culture where issues can be handled fairly and consistently. Our team decided to create a new employee handbook and distribute it to all staff. Keep your paragraphs short and concise, use simple language, and write in plain English. This will ensure your employees know what to expect in terms of managing their time. Like every company, every employee handbook is different. You should also explain the company's policies for holiday leave, such as how much holiday time a year employees are given as part of their employment. This has the added benefit of allowing employees to consult the handbook for guidance any time they have questions. By including this information in your handbook, you create both a new level of clarity and a new level of accountability for employees. An employee handbook, also sometimes called an employee manual or a policies and procedures manual, is a document that tells your staff members what to expect when they work for you. 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