5 Essentials for Creating an Employee Handbook

Creating an employee handbook is a good idea if you want to keep your employees happy and motivated. It helps you communicate company policies and deadlines to all your workers. Plus, it helps you deal with problems with staff members by outlining disciplinary actions and procedures to follow. Employers who create effective employee handbooks end up saving time, money, and grief.

Currently, there isn't a set standard for how an employee handbook should look or function. However, most recommend including the following in yours:

1. Introduction. An overview of company values.
2. Financial status. Policies regarding benefits, pays, attendance records or time tracking
3. Communication expectations. Include what tools your company uses to communicate and how each employee is expected to communicate.
4. Disciplinary actions including warnings, suspensions, firings and rehiring. When an employee does not meet expectations, what procedures do you have in place?
5. Conclusion/references/methodology. Your employees may want to know why you’ve set the above policies and expectations. Explaining leadership’s reasoning on each element can be done in the conclusion section.

Handbooks should be made available online so they are readily accessible to employees. Some companies have gotten creative and place QR codes throughout their office spaces, so important employee documents are always available.