Benefits of An Employee Handbook
Focusing on employee handbook criteria, this blog is the last in a three part series. These articles are developed from the ComplianceHR whitepaper: What Should Be Included In Your Employee Handbook, download it here.
A comprehensive employee handbook has proven to be a critical compliance tool for employers.
At a minimum, it should outline all of the employer’s policies, procedures and benefits. Also, an employee handbook typically describes an organization’s culture, philosophy and values. A well-written handbook uses clear, unambiguous language to define workplace expectations. Additionally, it provides employees with the rules they need to know in order to be successful in the organization.
Once you have made the decision to create, or update, your employee handbook the next step is to consider what information it should include.
Why Create an Employee Handbook?
While it is not legally required, every organization that has employees should have an employee handbook. As we shared in the first whitepaper of this series, a good handbook will provide your organization with many benefits, including:
- Welcoming new employees and introducing them to your organization and its unique culture
- Communicating the employer’s expectations for workplace behavior and the consequences of not meeting those expectations
- Sharing company policies with all your workers will ensure they are enforced fairly and consistently by managers. This will lower the risk of lawsuits and other claims by employees
- Providing an always-available resource for employees and managers on how to answer common questions, handle day-to-day issues, report violations and file complaints
It is safe to say that every organization with more than one employee will benefit from an employee handbook. Employment law experts agree that well-crafted handbooks will help to protect a business from litigation, while also serving as valuable reference tool for employees and their managers.
In our last blog post, we included a list of criteria to include in your employee handbook. This list will serve as a starting point in creating a tailored employee handbook for your organization.
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About ComplianceHR
ComplianceHR offers the only on-demand, intelligent suite of compliance applications focused on helping companies address the ever-changing federal and state employment law requirements on many common HR topics such as minimum wage, overtime, independent contracting, and more.
We provide employers of all industries, sizes, and locations with solutions that empower employers to handle complex compliance issues. Our solutions take less time, cost, and complexity than traditional methods. The Navigator Suite simplifies employment law compliance, allowing you to streamline your compliance workflow in only a few simple clicks.
One of our most popular applications, PolicySmart, is an intuitive handbook compliance tool that provides employers with national and state specific templates, a unique compliance timeline, and so much more. Fueled by the subject matter expertise of Littler, the world’s largest employment law firm, PolicySmart allows users to easily create and maintain legally compliant handbooks that are cost effective, up-to-date, and delivered on-demand.
If you are not already a ComplianceHR client, we welcome you to sign up for a quick intro call and product demo with one of our compliance experts. After the demo we also offer a free, 14-day trial to explore all of the Navigator Suite applications and see for yourself how they can transform your compliance practices. Register for a demonstration today.
