Employee Handbooks

Handbooks help you & your employees to create and maintain workforce alignment

An employee handbook is an effective and useful method for your business culture and values to be described to employees.  Handbooks help to reinforce and stimulate the workforce alignment that you are committed to creating between your business and employee values.  It incorporates your hiring, management, and motivational practices that help you to develop the alignment necessary for the productivity and profit of your business.

Employees can use the handbook as a tool to help them understand the way your business works, what their responsibilities to the business are, and to describe the benefits for which they are eligible.  A handbook is a unique representation of your business, reflecting your business tone and mission.  We find that these policies and procedures help employees to better understand how their short and long term professional interests can benefit the company.

Handbooks also ensure that your business is legally protected.  The application of various legal requirements varies, depending on the number of employees within the business and may describe particular industry exceptions.  It is customized to ensure that you are fully protected.  Every handbook we prepare should not be implemented until competent labor counsel has reviewed it for compliance and enforceability.

Developing the handbook is the first step – implementation is the second and most important step.   We will work with you to design and implement it.

The following is a sample list of policies that may be included in a small business employee handbook.  This list is not inclusive.

Introduction - Explanation of Company History & Culture, Organizational Chart, Mission Statement, Introductory Statement, Employee Acknowledgement Form, Confidentiality Agreement, Customer Relations

Employment - Hiring Practices, Employment Classifications, EEO, ADA, ADEA, FLSA, Business Ethics and Conduct, Immigration Law Compliance, Outside Employment, Compensation practices, Non-Disclosure/Confidentiality

Timekeeping/Payroll - Timekeeping, Pay Days, Employment Terminations, Overtime

Benefit Programs – Time Off Benefits:  Vacation/Holidays/Sick Time/Personal Time, Workers’ Compensation Insurance, Unemployment Insurance, Health/Dental/Life Insurance, Short/Long Term Disability, Retirement, COBRA

Conduct and Disciplinary Action – Employee Conduct and Work Rules, Drug and Alcohol Use, Sexual/Hostile or Other Unlawful Harassment, Attendance/Punctuality/Absenteeism, Personal Appearance, Return of Property, Resignation, Progressive Discipline, Workplace Violence

Leave of Absences – Military Leave, Personal Leave, MMLA, Jury Duty, Bereavement, FMLA/SNLA

Record Keeping – Employment Categories, Access to Personnel Files, Employment Reference Checks, Introductory Period, Employment Applications, Performance Evaluation

Work Conditions and Hours – Safety, Work Schedules, Computers, E-mail systems, Smoking, Rest and Meal Periods, Use of Equipment and Vehicles, Emergency Closings, OSHA, Cell Phone Usage

Call us at 508-778-7700 to discuss your Handbook needs.