Does
Your Business Need an Employee Manual?
August 19,
2002
Many
businesses can benefit from having a personnel manual
(employee manual). Check this list of benefits to see
whether your business should look into maintaining such a
manual:
- An
employee manual may help to prevent unnecessary
lawsuits. Keeping an up-to-date summary of your
business’s employee rules, policies, and benefits
may help you to avoid litigation by employees or
former employees. At the very least, the manual will
help you in defending against such suits.
- Having
employee policies and benefits in writing tends to
make employees feel that the employer is likely to
deal fairly and impartially with them. This leads to
improved employee morale.
- An
employee manual tells employees what is expected of
them, thus helping to ensure that employees will
behave in a manner that is good for your business.
TIP:
You will need professional help in preparing an employee
manual. Areas covered might include: benefits, sick
leave, vacation, hours of work, dress code, and use of
alcohol or narcotics in the workplace. Due to the myriad
federal and state laws that govern the treatment of
employees, the help of a qualified expert is a must.
|
