Gone are the days when the employee handbook is seen as the cause of more harm than good. In the modern business environment, this handbook acts as a shield to protect your legal rights and a sword to carve them out.
No matter how many employees you might have under your wing, here are the top reasons why employers like you need to have a staff handbook.
Meet and Set Expectations of the Employees
Employees expect employers to communicate with them in a professional and straightforward way about every single thing that concerns them. Providing them a handbook shows that you perfectly understand the needs of the employees for rightful information and can also go a long way to make a good first impression among new employees.
Treat the Employees Consistently
The employee handbook has been tailored based on how you do business to help ensure that the managers within the organization will handle and address issues consistently. This is not merely an instruction book on dealing with or managing all kinds of problems but also offers a solid framework that the managers can follow in doing so.
Set the Employees’ Behaviors
The staff handbook outlines the performance and behaviors expected from employees and what will happen once they failed to meet these expectations. This must also inform the employees as to how they can achieve success in their respective jobs.
Among many other things, this must guide the employees on how to keep a proper time record, dress appropriately, use the electronic resources, report possible workplace violence or theft, complain regarding possible harassment or operational matters, request for time off from their work, maintain confidential information, refrain from alcohol and drug use, comply with the laws and many others.
“Sell” Your Offered Benefits
You shell out a significant amount of money on your employees in ways that they don’t appreciate or see. This handbook gives you the chance to take credit for the things you do for the workers.
Without lots of details, the handbook must list all benefits that you offer at no cost to the employees, those that you subsidized, the ones available for purchase at lower rates or those available through a payroll deduction.
In addition, this must refer to the different kinds of unpaid and paid time off given to the employees.
Help You Win Unemployment Lawsuits and Claims
Should the need arises, a carefully written employee handbook is the initial step for a successful defense of employment or other forms of legal claims.
Most of the time, to win an unemployment claim, there must be a proof presented that will show that the terminated employee received a notice on a specific rule and was warned that violating this rule can lead to disciplinary action that can include immediate termination.
Similarly, most employment lawsuits are based on consistent treatment of the employees and making sure that they were advised of the essential procedures and policies of the company. The handbook’s page that contains the applicable policy and the signed acknowledgement form are crucial to the unemployment defense or other kinds of legal claims. These documents will serve as exhibits during litigation, helping you minimize damages if not win the case.
With all these reasons revealed, see to it that you have a well-written, up-to-date and legally compliant employee handbook for your own benefit as an employer and for your employees’ advantage at the same time.
