Employee handbooks, or carefully drafted policies and procedures, can be an effective shield for employers. However, if improperly drafted, they can be used by employees against the company. The following chapter outlines a recommended process for drafting or revising an employer’s handbook, or policies and procedures manual.
Regardless of the format of the employer’s policies, decisions should be made early in the process as to the content, form, and tone of the policies and procedures manual. There are also certain policies that should be included in any manual and some policies that should be avoided. This topic will discuss issues facing employers with respect to recommended policies that are often found in manuals, as well as other optional policies that employers may choose to include in their policies and procedures manual based upon the needs of the particular company. Finally, because policies in themselves are not effective without implementation, a plan for implementation is an important step in the creation of any manual.
Before an employer begins to draft or revise an effective manual, the employer should make some preliminary decisions about its scope and...
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