Employee handbooks are not legally binding unless they explicitly state that they are. However, certain statements in the handbook can be interpreted as contractual promises if they are specific enough and imply mutual obligations between employer and employee.
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.
If you need to produce physical manuals, FrameMaker or InDesign (if they are shorter, quick start manuals) will do a good job. You can get away with Word, but the page layout features are not as good.
The standard sections of an employee handbook include Preface, Company Profile, Orientation & First Day, Health & Safety, Classifications & Schedules, Compensation & Benefits, Leave, Performance, Appropriate Use, Conduct & Company Policy, Discipline & Termination, Glossary, and Agreement.
Now we've got a total of 58 pages. And you can also see that all these headings are fully automated.MoreNow we've got a total of 58 pages. And you can also see that all these headings are fully automated. So that the table of contents.
Are Employers Required to Provide an Employee Handbook? There's no specific legal requirement for employers to provide an employee handbook. However, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) advises that it's a key tool for employers and HR departments in addressing conflict and other issues.
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.
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.
If you don't have an employee handbook, opposing counsel will likely use the absence of a handbook to prove the absence of any consistent policies or procedures upon which employees are treated.
While an employee handbook is not legally required of employers, the lack of one can create confusion, as you note, and lead to decreased morale and potential for legal claims. With no handbook guiding them, managers are without rules to rely on.