Employee Handbook Template

How to Write an Employee Handbook?

Include these details in your handbook for employees:

1. Basic definitions and questions . State the types of employment contracts you have, promote workplace respect and equality, describe the steps of your recruitment process, and write down the attendance rules.
2. Company policies . Ensure health and safety conditions, remind the employees that workplace violence and harassment are unacceptable, and establish confidentiality laws applicable to your business.
3. Code of ethics and conduct . Describe the requirements, layout company guidelines about the digital devices, and explain whether it is allowed to invite visitors to the office.
4. Compensation . Tell the employees when they will receive their wages and clarify overtime rules. Here you can also describe various perks and benefits - company vehicles and equipment, parking, remote working, etc. List the work-related expenses you will cover and explain how employees can claim their money back.
5. Employee training . To make sure employees become better in a professional and personal sense, you can create special programs to develop their skills.
6. Working hours and vacation time . Indicate the business working hours, list the holidays, describe the sick leave, parental leave, and bereavement leave.
7. Termination of employment . Layout the procedure of ending the employment, address the resignation process, and promise to give references to employees who leave the job.

When you distribute the handbook to the employees, give them an Acknowledgment Form to sign and confirm they know all the information and are prepared to behave accordingly.

What Should an Employee Handbook Not Include?

Below are some examples of what to avoid in your Employee Handbook:

1. Outdated practices and vague information that can be interpreted in the wrong way. Do not use legalese to remove ambiguity and apply a consistent approach throughout the document.
2. Harsh disciplinary actions. You have to anticipate workplace issues and disagreements and quickly deal with them, but there is no need, for instance, to fire someone for the first minor offense.
3. Restrictive policies related to social media. You cannot forbid your employees to discuss the business with their friends and relatives and you are not allowed to control their social media presence.

Note that you have to review the handbook regularly to keep it updated and notify employees about the modifications included in the new version of the document.

Related Forms and Templates:

• Employee Evaluation Form;
• Employee Incident Report Form;
• Employee Privacy Policy.