The Importance of an Employee Handbook

Having and maintaining an employee handbook is a daunting task. With changing legislature and day-to-day business demands, the handbook is often the first things to fall through the cracks. But having a compliant and up-to-date handbook is highly important.

Protect Your Company

If an employment dispute occurs, you are at a severe disadvantage if you don’t have a handbook or if it is not compliant. The creation and maintenance of a handbook could save you time, money, and energy if any dispute occurs.

Create Consistency

Having a comprehensive employee handbook allows management and human resources to swiftly and equitably resolve any internal issues or concerns. Managers and human resources can refer to the handbook as questions from employees come up to make sure every answer is clear and consistent. This consistency helps minimize the likelihood of employment disputes arising in the first place.

Set Employee Expectations

Lastly, having an updated handbook is a great way to set expectations for your employees and showcase the benefits you offer. A complete handbook goes into all expectations from timekeeping to attire and more. This way, as any expectation is not met, you as the employer can refer to the handbook for support that those expectations were set. The handbook is a great way to also show employees their benefits from time off to medical coverage and more. It gives your employees a one-stop-shop for any questions they might have.

Prioritizing Handbooks

The biggest barrier to having an updated handbook is time. With all the pressures of a business, the handbook can easily fall through the cracks. So, we recommend setting time at least once per year to review and update the handbook. As compliance rules have changed, update your handbook immediately, or make a note to add it during the next review. There are also plenty of services that track compliance in your state and can help you keep your handbook updated and complaint.

If you are unsure where to start or need help getting your handbook up to date, let us know! Reach out to our HR specialists today.