Once the employer has updated the policies and formalized the common practices, legal counsel should review them, and HR should use these final policies for developing the employee handbook. Employers should also consider the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rulings and guidance pertaining to employee handbooks.
While there is no specific law on the federal level that requires employers to create an employee handbook, certain labor regulations may apply if you choose to create one.
Once the employer has updated the policies and formalized the common practices, legal counsel should review them, and HR should use these final policies for developing the employee handbook. Employers should also consider the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rulings and guidance pertaining to employee handbooks.
And if your company doesn't have a handbook, managers and employees will need to rely on the company's “institutional memory” to ensure that policies are consistently applied. Work policies and expectations also take on more importance and are more likely to be followed when you codify them in an official handbook.
How to write an employee handbook Include your company's mission statement. Write a brief section on company history. State any legal declarations. Explain your dress code. Include details about work hours. Define duties. Include department-specific policies. Describe company benefits.
Include information on employee conduct and work rules. Notify employees how their work performance will be evaluated and reviewed. Aim to protect your company and the workplace by including policies on workplace safety and security as well as workplace violence.
Are employee handbooks required by law? It's not legally required to provide an employee handbook.
How to write an employee handbook Include your company's mission statement. Write a brief section on company history. State any legal declarations. Explain your dress code. Include details about work hours. Define duties. Include department-specific policies. Describe company benefits.
Most employers are surprised to learn that California does not require companies to have an employee handbook.