Features of the HR Library

 

Employment laws are modified every year and staying up to date on all the changes can be a full-time job – and is, for human resources professionals and employers.  For the experienced attorneys who write our books, this manual is a way to help businesses stay on the right side of employment law, minimize the risk of litigation, and avoid costly penalties.  This reference has been organized to fit your needs and outfitted with numerous features to help you make sure your policies and business practices are in compliance with the law.

  • The place to start
  • Our goal is to provide you with a useful resource to help you make effective employee handbooks and appropriate policies.  As such, Chapter 1, Introduction, is dedicated to getting you started.  Check out this quick overview before drafting your handbook or updating your policies.
  • The structure
  • To make this book more functional, we’ve displayed many sample policies and forms in text, directly after the topic is addressed.  This is meant to aid you during the process of crafting your handbook.  For instance, the discussion of job descriptions on page 7 is followed by a sampleJob description on page 8.
  • The content
  • While we’ve worked to make this book as effective as possible – providing efficient ways to find specific content without expecting busy employers to sit down and read the text straight through – we want every chapter to be readable and uncomplicated, letting you know what to do, how to do it, and a little bit of why.  In case you don’t have time to read the whole book, here is a current hot topics we’d like to highlight:
    • As new provisions of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) went into effect this year, we’ve updated the Physician’s statement and release forms (pages 95 and 96) to include GINA’s safe-harbor disclaimer.  To read more about the disclaimer, check out Genetic discrimination on page 52.
    • The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was updated this year to include more specific regulations regarding break time for nursing mothers. To find out what new requirements have been placed on employers and to see a sample policy on this subject, turn to page 192.
  • The connections
  • As there is a lot of information in this book that requires interaction with different professional parties, contact information – including websites, email addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers for many government departments and local organizations – is spread throughout the book.  In-text mentions of external sources are followed by links to make it easier for you to apply our text to your own business.  Look out for sections with prompts for where to download important forms and posters, like the I-9 form on page 61.  Think of it as the most detailed address book you’ve ever owned!
  • The appendices
  • We’ve tried to make every page of this manual useful, not just the beginning; so don’t dismiss the appendices.  At the end of the book there are a number of valuable resources for your use.  The topics include recordkeeping and posting requirements, both complete with federal and state constraints.  Find the exact information you need, compiled and at hand, ready for your use.
  • The digital download
  • Once you pay for the book, ACCR will email you a link where you can download the forms and policies featured in the book.  When you have the digital files saved to your desktop, you will be able to personalize and print what you need with a few clicks of a button.  If you have not received your files within two business days of your purchase, please call us toll-free at 866-439-2227.  

From hiring to firing, this book will be your personal guide to managing your personnel and your employee handbook.  Be confident that you are running a legitimate, functional business with your employment lawyer sitting on your bookshelf!