Total Team Solutions Blog

Employee Handbook

By: Donna Kakadeles

HANDBOOK COMPOSITON OR REVISION

 

It’s right up there with doing income taxes - writing or updating the employee handbook.   It’s tedious but necessary.  Changes to federal and state employment laws make updating the resource even more critical.

We offer the same general advice for both small and large companies creating or updating an employee handbook: 

·        Keep it concise and understandable, or employees won’t read it. 

·        Make sure the language is broad enough to provide wiggle room for workers and management, but not so broad that you start running afoul of state and federal labor laws.

·        Ensure that the details—hours, holiday and vacation rules, anti-harassment policies—are spelled out clearly. 

·        Use the handbook to introduce the company—along with its history and culture—to new workers as a way of establishing a positive employer-employee relationship. 

Handbooks need not include every detail of an employer’s policies or every provision of the laws impacting the workplace. Rather, they should be worded carefully so that the HR department is not boxed in. For example, it’s best to leave out the nitty-gritty of the company’s severance policy and to avoid speculating on possible future changes to overtime pay rules in order to preserve flexibility. In addition, the handbook should include a disclaimer that it is not an employment contract; provisions affecting such disclaimers vary by state.

What’s the solution to this arduous task?  Let us help of course.  We can work with you to create or update your handbook so that it is in compliance.  Reach out to Donna Kakadeles at 203-459-1777 ext 4 or via email Dkakadeles@ttpro.com  to learn how we can make your life easier.

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