Employee handbooks are basic human resources tools used for communicating information to employees. Handbooks are a publication that all employees receive when they start working for the company. Although there are no federal or state laws requiring employee handbooks, employers are well advised to create an employee handbook for their organization and to include company policies, company history and information, and other critical elements.

Writing an Employee Handbook:

The most important reason to create a handbook is to document the employer's expectations. A good handbook will describe expected performance and how to get a promotion or raise, give the employer's expectations regarding work hours,
Dress code, and sick leave or vacation leaves. The employee handbook can be a positive tool for encouraging growth, improving morale, and aligning employee behavior with company policies. Remember, you will have to plan to update your employees handbook regularly, and change your written policies, if needed, to conform to actual practice or changes in the law.

Writing an employee handbook sounds simple, yet it can actually be more complicated than expected. You can write your employee handbook yourself but be sure to have your attorney review it and fine-tune it if necessary. It is important that your policies are in accordance with federal, state and local laws. Some small businesses make a handbook simpler -- even a one- or two-page fact sheet that's produced on their computer. The tips below will help you create a document that will serve your company well.

Employee Handbook should include:

*Company Overview/ Mission / Long-Term Goals
* Standards of conduct- Desired behavior (dress code and timeliness, your policies on sexual harassment, racial and sexual discrimination, use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco in the workplace (including pre-employment screening and post-accident testing), disciplinary procedures and employee purchases.

*Group Insurance Program / Benefits- Ask your insurance company for copies of their own
brochures that explain your insurance policies (health insurance, dental insurance, parental or maternity leave).

*Pension or profit-sharing plans- Discuss when and how employees become eligible, whether an employee contribution is permitted or required, and when employees become vested.

*Explain policies on vacation and all types of leave, including sick, military, funeral, personal, family, medical and jury duty. List paid holidays.

*Explain Service Award Program for employees

*Include the policies on Scholarship Program or Tuition Reimbursement Program

* Work hours. Define the work week and time allotted for lunch and breaks.

*Pay procedures- General statements about when paychecks will arrive, how promotions and wage increases are handled, classification of employees (part-time, full-time, on-call)and policies on pay advances, leaves without pay, overtime and other pay irregularities are sufficient.

*Include the policy on probationary progress review. Employees will know in exactly what areas they will be evaluated and When (After 3 months, 6 months, 12 months).

*Include the policy on evaluation performance review. Employees will know in exactly what areas they will be evaluated and how often (during a set annual or semi-annual period).

*Termination- List the just causes for which you will fire an employee, including criminal activity, poor performance, dishonesty, security breaches, insubordination, absenteeism,
company policy violations, health and safety threats and
dress code infractions.

* General information- This section should be geared toward
new hires who may not know how to get around, at what time
they'll eat lunch, cafeteria facilities, a parking pass, an organizational chart, phone lists, a statement regarding the
confidential nature of your business, and policies addressing
gifts, use of company cars or company cell phone and personal
phone calls.

*Add the disclaimer that the handbook is not a contract,
policies can be changed at any time. This means that the company's relationship with employees is not a guarantee of employment, and can be terminated at any time with or without cause or notice.
The purpose of your employee handbook is to communicate your company's policies to your employees. It is essential that it is written clearly and directly, so there is no chance for confusion. It should detail your specific human resources policies. The fact is, many lawsuits occur because companies don't have documentable, consistent policies. Your handbook should rectify this.

Remember, when you give your new employee your company handbook, be sure to have him or her sign for it. This form should state that the employee received the handbook and understands your company's policies. Give a copy of this receipt to the employee, and place another in the employee's file. This will help protect you from possible claims that a person was fired for rules he/she did not know about. Your attorney can help you draft this form.