Every company should have an employee handbook or policy manual. No state or federal law may require an employer to issue a handbook or manual to its employees, but the benefits of doing so strongly favor the practice.
In a non-union environment, for instance, employees may not have one definitive source of information about the terms and conditions of employment, such as work rules, disciplinary procedures or other employer expectations of employee conduct. Handbooks and manuals allow employers to provide a consistent, uniform statement about such issues. They can help maintain consistency among departments, locations and employee classifications because everyone operates from the same set of expectations. Employers use handbooks and manuals to communicate values and visions. In sum, everyone benefits from an environment where the expectations, rules and policies are predictable, clear and published.
Well-written and widely distributed handbooks also serve a legal purpose. Consistency and uniformity in applying policies, for instance, reduces the risk of a discrimination or “disparate treatment” claim. Further, jurors like to see policies in writing. Even if an employer has a well-established practice,...
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