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Why you need a comprehensive employee handbook for your business
December 18, 2020
Managing people is one of the toughest tasks in business. You want to inspire dedication, trust, and creativity in your workforce. You must also ensure that everyone knows their basic rights and responsibilities, and that they understand the mission and values of the company. These things can be set down in an employee handbook. If you run the HR department in your organization, you can use an employee handbook to establish expectations for employees, articulate your legal obligations, and define their legal rights.
Working with a Palm Harbor business attorney will allow you to create a clear and effective employee handbook. When putting one to together, you want to ensure that the handbook will:
1. Introduce employees to your company’s mission and values
Most of the people who come to work for your company do so because they need a job. They may have applied and been hired for a specific role owing to their experience and skill set. However, each employee should have an understanding of what your company does and how it is distinct from others in the industry. The handbook should explain this clearly. It should also lay out the standards and values of the company. People should know the attitudes and behaviors that are acceptable and the ones that are not.
2. Communicate expectations
The handbook should lay out the company’s policies and procedures. Employees should know who they should speak to when they want to schedule their vacation time or when they need to take a personal day. The handbook should also lay out the procedures for reporting different types of grievances.
3. Show the benefits the company offers
Most employees focus on three categories of compensation when they take a job: pay, health insurance, and vacation time. They may not be aware of the many other types of benefits they are entitled to. All these should be laid out in the employee handbook. Your handbook should include specifics on the company-based health insurance plan. It should also detail retirement benefits, stock options, and other forms of reward and compensation offered by your company.
4. Keep employees in compliance
It is vital that all of your employees adhere to state and federal law while on the job. It is especially important to stay in compliance if your company has contracts with state and federal governments. Your people should also know their rights and obligations regarding state disability and federal FMLA leave. They should also know about government mandates related to their work.
5. Tell employees where they go for additional help
In addition to laying out a procedure for the reporting of grievances, your employee handbook should also advise your people where they can turn to for more help. There is no reason for you to keep anything from your people. To this end, the handbook should provide contact details for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and various state agencies that deal with harassment and discrimination in the workplace.
Palm Harbor business attorneys can provide the insight and direction you need to develop a first-rate employee handbook. You should partner with a Palm Harbor business lawyer as you think through the contents that should be included in the handbook. Business attorneys in Palm Harbor FL will know the latest state laws, mandates, and regulations so that your compliance information is up to date. Palm Harbor business lawyers will also ensure that your handbook is complete enough to protect you against liability. You have a duty to disclose certain information to employees, and the Palm Harbor business lawyers you work with will ensure that you do.
If you are thinking of putting an employee handbook together, you should contact the business lawyers in Palm Harbor FL at the Law Office of Robert Eckard & Associates.