How To Prepare An Employee Handbook?

An employee handbook is a vital resource for induction. It can bridge between the employer and the employee. The handbook consists of all the necessary information, the company motto as well as vision and mission to kickstart the career of an employee with the company. It is certainly an element necessary for employees in every organization.

Besides, it is a matter of importance for an employee to know all the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures to exist in a company. If an employee is required to follow certain norms and culture and claim rights then the employee handbook comes quite useful.

Let’s look into the steps you need to follow to prepare an employee handbook for your organization:

An Employee Handbook Is An Essential Part Of Induction

Steps to Prepare an Employee Handbook:

1. Revise existing policies

An employee handbook should consist of only the updated policies. For this, you need to revise the existing policies your company has. If the company policies match with the existing labor policies and laws of the state/country then you can keep them. Otherwise, you may need to change them accordingly.

2. Organize elements and make an outline

After the revision of the existing policies of the organization, you need to focus on what you need to include in the employee handbook. After all, the employee handbook is part of the induction process, which gives you the chance to include:

1. Company background and information
2. Vision and mission
3. Company norms and culture
4. The goal of the handbook
5. HR policies and procedures
6. Marketing policies and procedures

Etc in the employee handbook

3. Summarized policy and procedures

For the employee handbook, you need to convert the policy and procedures in summarized format and in a format that the mass audience can understand. As the employee handbook is meant for employees, the policy and procedures should be understandable by every personnel. After summarizing, you should add the summarized versions with each necessary section.  

4. Review by the HR department and legal body

After creating the employee handbook, you should review it by the whole HR team along with the legal body responsible for the company. If they are satisfied then you can go for formal publication. Otherwise if any addition, subtraction or editing may be necessary, they should be inserted accordingly to make the final edition.

5. Publication & Distribution

After creating the final edition, you can publish it through a vendor or in-house printing solution. Distribution should be done by receiving a copy of agreement that the employee received and understood the content of the employee handbook. This is the process of a formal induction. 

Examples of Contents:

Following is a list of contents that may be included in an employee handbook for the utmost effect:

Company Values

i. Welcome message

ii. Orientation

iii. Company background

iv. Company Vision

v. Company Mission

vi. Company Objectives

vii. Contractual Disclaimer

viii. Purpose of employee handbook 

Policies and Procedures

i. Classification of team members

ii. Recruitment policy

iii. Salary Scale

iv. Work Hour

v. Attendance

vi. Leave Approval

vii. Meal and Rest Period

viii. Garnishment

ix. Promotion

x. Transfer

xi. Personal Safety

xii. Sexual Harassment

xiii. Performance Review

xiv. Termination

xv. Promotions & Transfer

Benefits

i. Holidays

ii. Casual Leave

iii. Medical Leave

iv. Earned Leave

v. Maternity Leave

vi. Paternity Leave

vii. Health Insurance

viii. Life Insurance

vix. Retirement and Pension Plans

ix. Training & Development

x. Service awards 

Safety

i. Commitment of Safety

ii. Emergency Procedure

iii. Safety Rules

iv. Medical Facilities

Codes of Conduct and Etiquette

i. Dress Code

ii. Ethics

iii. Drug and Alcohol Usage

iv. Customer Etiquette

v. Conflict Resolution

6. Disciplinary Process
7. Exit Process
8. Non-disclosure agreement
9. Acknowledgment of Receipt

This is better to mention at last that the policies and procedures may change at any time with or without notice from the employer.

Why Is An Employee Handbook So Important?

An employee handbook states the core structure and procedures to be followed in a company. The message is relayed directly from the employer to the employee.

Not only this, but with an employee handbook, you can easily state what you want from employees and what can be expected from them.

Thirdly, an employee is an asset who must know the rules, norms, and cultures to be part of the company and keep the goodwill at every place – it is formally established through the employee handbook.

Last but not the list, the safety concerns the employer takes for the employees along with the values and mottos of the company are described in an employee handbook.

Conclusion

An employee handbook is essential to bridge the gap between employers and employees. Thus you should take preparations carefully to complete an employee handbook perfectly.