Does Your Employee Handbook Contain These 10 Policies?

During any new staff orientation, it is customary to provide your new employee with all of the pertinent tax forms as well as an employee handbook. This kind of handbook has 2 purposes. It helps unveil expectations for the work place, and can serve to make all legal requirements very clear at the same time. Listed below are ten policies to add to any employee manual.

1. Basic Rules of Conduct: It's suggested to avoid putting a litany of disciplinary actions in your company's employee handbook, but rather you should make it very clear which behaviors will not be accepted and may lead to swift termination. Damage to property, snoozing on the company's dime, substance abuse, company theft, or any other issues along these lines could be included.

2. Employee Problem Resolution Procedures: This is the portion of the employee manual that should embody more specific disciplinary measures that might be considered, short of eventual termination. The employee handbook can function as a work place problem solving aid for employees and supervisors as well.

3. Discrimination and Harassment Policies: Be sure that your business shows that it has a zero-tolerance policy on workplace discrimination and / or harassment of any kind.

4. Workplace Security and Zero Weapons Policy: Stipulate through your employee handbook what your company's position is on weapons inside the work place. Explain everything that your company is doing, (and what employees can do), to stay safe, and the possible consequences of violating workplace security and safety guidelines. Any sort of specific information on security procedures can also be included within this particular portion of the manual.

5. Drugs and Alcohol Policies: It is important to have a alcohol and drug free work place, which can also be included in your employee handbook.

6. At-Will Employment Policy: This is the section of the manual where you will clarify whether the employee is actually working with the company "at will" and therefore may possibly be terminated at any time. Some locations have particular laws pertaining to whether an employee can be fired without due process even if your small business presides within an "employment at will" region. You will definitely need to be careful here and actually do your homework; or work with a company that is an expert in creating fully customized and legally compliant employee handbooks for businesses.

7. Confidentiality Policy: In order to preserve intellectual property or any other propriatary information, you should include a policy in the employee manual that requires the employee to maintain company confidentiality.

8. Electronic Communications Policy: Is it acceptable for employees to make use of e-mail for private use? Can employees use the Internet to go shopping on the web? If there are limits about the use of business email and the Internet, you can make your position crystal clear in this section.

9. Family Medical Leave, (FMLA) Policy: There are different regulations for each State regarding required sick days or medical leave for staff.

10. Employee Benefits Policy: This is the area where you can include summary details relating to your company's medical or paid time off benefits.

You can certainly design your own company policies, or take advantage of employee handbook software or additional employee manual strategies. Whatever you choose, having at least a basic employee handbook is an essential tool for all businesses, no matter how small.

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