Top Three Things You Should Do With Your Employee Handbook This Year
Amy Wisner
With the flip of the calendar, organizations should think about dusting off their employee handbooks. Each year brings changes to employment laws that may affect current policies and procedures. In addition, over time, companies may change their practices or initiate new policies that aren’t reflected in their current handbook. Despite this, companies often let their handbooks become outdated.
It’s important to keep your employee handbook updated. Having a well written, current employee handbook can reduce risk by meeting a company’s legal obligations and by providing policies that support a company’s employment actions. It can also improve morale by informing employees of the current perks a company offers and by setting clear expectations. Finally, it can increase efficiencies by being a resource for employees to get correct answers to their questions quickly.
While the handbook’s content is very important, remember it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. Here are three key areas to focus on as you update your employee handbook.
Review the Content:
Outline not only what you can expect from your employees, but also what they can expect from you.
Include policies that are an absolute must.
Remove or revise policies you haven’t been enforcing as written.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws.
Consider the Language, Format, and Look:
Use language that is clear and concise.
Use headers, subheadings, and bullet points.
Use your brand colors and follow your brand style.
Think about the Message and Tone:
Consider sharing the company’s values, mission, and history.
Make it welcoming and positive vs. authoritarian and ensure it reflects your culture.
Communicate a partnership between management and employees.
Contact us today to find out how our team can help revise or compose your organization’s employee handbook.
