Create an Employee Handbook to Protect Your Company and Employees

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If you’ve worked in management or HR for any length of time, you can’t help but be familiar with the phrase get it in writing. Nowhere is that more important than where employee policies and procedures are concerned. When your employees are working without an employee handbook that clearly outlines your expectations for their performance, then you are without much of a leg to stand on if an employee violates a rule — if the rule’s not in writing, or the rule has not been explained to and acknowledged by the employee, then there may as well not be a rule at all. A well-organized, routinely updated employee handbook should be introduced to every employee upon hiring, and re-introduced whenever important changes are made.

Where to Start

Chances are good that there is an employee handbook for your organization collecting dust in some file cabinet somewhere. While that’s a good place to start when creating a handbook, chances are even better that it’s outdated. Rounding up the latest drafts of policies and procedures that each department uses is a good starting point when creating your new handbook. In addition to your organization’s policies, you’ll also need to include state and federal regulations that may apply to your employees, such as OSHA regulations, wage and hour regulations, Family Medical Leave Act information, and state licensure information. Local policies and procedures must not violate local, state, and federal employment or other pertinent regulations; to make sure you have all your bases covered, contact professional organizations that serve your organization and ask for sample handbooks or policy manuals and guidance on creating a handbook.

Getting the Word Out to Existing Employees

Just letting employees know that you have a new handbook is not enough — you must provide ample opportunity to go over the policies and procedures with your employees and get proof in writing that they have been informed of the changes and understand them. A mandatory training session on the handbook is advisable, and so is including a signed acknowledgment of receiving the training in each employees personnel file.

Starting New Employees Off Right

Training on the handbook should also become part of your new employee onboarding schedule. One way to simplify your onboarding schedule is by outsourcing it — using temporary employees who receive part of their new hire training before they even walk through your doors is a great way to make the process easier. Contact Staffing Partners today to see how we can further streamline your hiring process by introducing you to the best temp and temp-to-hire employees in your field.

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