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Employee Handbooks Make Sense For Small Employers
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Article 2: Contents Of An Employee Handbook
Employees are happier and more productive when kept fully informed about their benefits, duties and responsibilities.
“If what you want to happen in the workplace is stated succinctly in a handbook, employees are provided with valuable guidelines as to how they are expected to perform,” notes Bette Price, CEO of The Price Group, a leadership development consultancy based in Addison, Texas.
So what should you put in your handbook? While every handbook differs in its particulars, you may want to consider these common topics:
- Hours. What are the normal working hours and how can overtime be authorized?
- Pay. How are pay, salary and bonus levels set and raised?
- Benefits. What rules must the employee follow regarding health insurance, retirement plans and other benefits?
- Attendance. What are the penalties for repeated tardiness or absences?
- Time off. How do employees apply for vacation time, sick leave and other absences from normal work times?
- Sexual harassment. How and to whom can an employee report sexual harassment or bias incidents?
- Discipline. What types of conduct will lead to disciplinary action?
- Use of computers and telephones. May employees use these devices for personal communications?
- Other matters: Many handbooks include safety and smoking rules, prohibitions of drug and alcohol abuse, and indicate the availability of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs).
Include vital information but don’t get verbose. Omit material that properly belongs in a procedure manual. An example would be the steps for preparing, documenting and submitting an expense report.
Employees are more likely to read a short handbook than a heavy tome.
“Start small with a reasonable amount of information, then add to the handbook over time,” suggests Liz Weber, president of Weber Business Services in Greencastle, Pa. “There is no sense in developing a handbook that turns into a huge bureaucracy.”
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