Business First Family Business, Accounting, Finance, Investing, Marketing And Management
A strong employee handbook is equivalent to a strong company foundation. When crafting an employee handbook, human resource workers should formulate clear company guidelines. A good company handbook will be a go-to employee reference for years to come. If you’re unsure how to create an effective employee handbook, here’s how to start.
Company Mission
Immediately, an employee should pick up your handbook and know what your company is about. Including the company’s mission statement is a great start. However, you can also include information about the company’s history or values here. You want to make the company sound as attractive as possible while including as much information as possible. The first part of your employee handbook should make the employee excited about joining your environment. For example, maybe your company practices an attitude of gratitude. The introduction should be inclusive and telling of your company culture. Your handbook will be most effective if it starts out on the right foot, explaining the company mission.
Communication and Conduct
Communication and conduct is a wide topic. It is best to split this into several different sections: employee dress code, attendance and ethics policy, etc. if your company has specific business uniforms, include best-dressed practices here. Your employee handbook need to discuss communication and conduct so employees know you expect them to operate on a daily basis. You can include specific company communication guideline. For example, maybe your company only uses “I” statements to manage conflict. This section sets the tone for your company, so be sure to spend time writing and crafting this part of the employee handbook.
Policies and Procedures
When employees think “handbook”, they think “policies”. This is the basis of a good employee handbook. When writing an employee handbook, you need to include rules and regulations. These can be company-specific or apply to your industry. Although it may be difficult, try to do more than just list policies in this section. Many employees skim the handbook because they feel it is too wordy or dry. You can give examples, tell a story or form an analogy to help your employees better understand the handbook. Some sections, like the Non-Disclosure Agreement, Sexual Harassment Policy and Non- Discrimination Policy, should be straightforward. Policies and procedures will make up the bulk of your employee handbook. Take care when writing this part, and make sure all the information is accurate.
Pay And Perks
The benefits section of your handbook will obviously attract an employee’s eye. Your handbook needs a benefits, pay and perks sections to detail what extra incentives your company offers. If you reimburse travel expenses or take an annual company trip to a beach, include it here. This is also the place to clearly state to the employee how many hours they will work and how much they will be compensated for their work. Write in information about vacation days, time off and training in this section. An employee will appreciate the pay and perks handbook section, so be sure it is direct and readable.
Job Review
Your employee handbook should include a section on disciplinary actions and job performance review. If there ever is a conflict with an employee, the handbook should serve as the primary tool for determining fault. You should explicitly state what the policy is and what happens if you break it. Also, include a point on what should occur in the case of termination. On the other side, you should also review promotions and overtime procedures. Be thorough when writing a job review section of the employee handbook, so that the handbook can be referenced in many different types of situations.
It’s important that your employee handbook is a living document, meaning it can be open to changes over the years. You can even consider making it electronic to save on business printing costs. Having a strong employee handbook can greatly influence how willing new employees are to get to work. To make a strong employee handbook, include your company’s values and mission. Set the precedent for communication and conduct in your work environment. Carefully review policies, and include other reference materials if need be. Detail employee compensation and benefits, and make sure to have a section about job review. These five sections will help you to create a strong employee handbook.
