Handbooks
An employee handbook is a written collection and summary of your policies, procedures and practices.
Handbooks are designed to answer employees’ questions on their employer’s procedures, avoiding time-consuming case-by-case scenarios. It also helps employees to be treated the same and reduce claims of discrimination at and Employment Tribunal. They can be used to inform employees about performance expectations, and provide good evidence that employees are aware that certain conduct can result in disciplinary action or dismissal. Employee handbooks can help you, as an employer show that you have acted fairly in accordance with set policies and procedures, especially if you face an employment tribunal claim.
Importantly, a handbook needs to reflect your Business culture and personalised appropriately, so that your employee experience is aligned with the content and feel of the handbook. Some Businesses choose to have very short handbooks, as opposed to lengthy detailed handbooks – there’s no right or wrong.
Things to consider:
- Whether it’s short and snappy or a longer handbook, the following is a good outline of what to include:
- Introduction
- General issues
- Recruitment
- Wellbeing
- Working hours
- Flexible working
- Absence from work
- Family Friendly leave
- Health & Safety
- Appearance & behaviour
- Protecting the Business
- Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
- Leaving the Business
- Grievances, disciplinary & underperformance
- Do you have a simple declaration that employees can tick to confirm they have read and understood the handbook?
- Is the handbook accessibleto all of your employees? Electronic and/or paper copy?
- How does a new employee access your handbook, is it clearly signposted?
- Should the staff handbook be included in your employment contract? Be aware that including policies and procedures in a handbook could make them contractual, subject to how they are referenced in the employment contract.
- Where referred to in an employment contract, have you used the phrase “further terms and conditions will be found in the employee handbook or such other handbook as the company may issue from time to time”?
- Remember that if a handbook is changed, employment contracts may need to be amended?
- Consider whether or not any change requires agreement?
- Is there an owner identified for the handbook and is the handbook regularly updated and recommunicated, as necessary? You should consider carrying out six-monthly reviews of your handbook, to ensure that it reflects changes to legislation and case law developments.
If you need HR help and support then get in touch.
Free Advice
Examples of help we can give:
- Provide a standard or bespoke employee handbook.
- Review and re-draft your current handbook, ensuring it is legally compliant.
- Refine your handbook to ensure it reflects your company values and culture.
- Draft and deploy a communication plan to support the handbook.
