Employee Handbooks
Drafting a comprehensive and legally compliant employee handbook can be a daunting task that requires significant time and attention that could be better spent on other business operations. In addition, it is often challenging to know which components should be included and which should be omitted in order to create an effective employee handbook. Signum can help business owners in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and the entire Southeast region overcome these challenges and create a customized handbook for their company and employees. The professionals at Signum have the expertise and experience to understand the policies, procedures, and other components necessary to produce an effective and legally compliant employee handbook.
The Importance of Employee Handbooks
No matter how many employees your company maintains, an employee handbook is an integral part of an effective human resources program. An employee handbook details the conduct expected of employees while also reducing the risk of misunderstandings, miscommunications, and legal issues down the road.
With a proper handbook, employees should have no question about your company's employment policies, procedures, and expectations, while having a handy resource to refer to if and when questions do arise. By having clear descriptions of policies and practices across the company, business owners can reduce legal risks and provide a legitimate legal defense against claims that may arise.
What Should an Employee Handbook Contain?
Effective employee handbooks will specifically address aspects of the company and its requirements, expectations, and values. However, even if the handbook is thorough, these policies should be regularly reviewed and updated.
The components of a comprehensive and legally compliant employee handbook include, but are not limited to:
- Employee rights and reporting procedures
- Language and information that is compliant with local, State, and Federal laws and regulations
- Requirements and expectations of all employees
- Employee leave and other benefits, including vacation and sick time, bereavement leave, company observed holidays, Family and Medical Leave (FMLA), military leave, etc.
- Expectations for ethical conduct and behavior
Updating Employee Handbooks
Due to the frequent changes in employment laws and regulations along with changes that occur with company policies and operations, employee handbooks must be kept up-to-date in order to maintain legal compliance and effectiveness. That's why the HR experts at Signum HR recommend and provide regular reviews and updates to employee handbooks that reflect both internal and external changes. These may include cultural, environmental, or societal changes. For example, longstanding dress code standards may now be outdated or even irrelevant. Or maybe your company needs to include a social media policy that would have been unnecessary five years ago.
The professionals at Signum can provide guidance and direction for maintaining an effective and compliant employee handbook, or we can undertake the process of creating and updating your handbook. Signum offers HR solutions that are comprehensive and tailored to fit your unique business' needs.
Is your company in need of guidance in developing or updating your employee handbook? Are you unsure as to whether your employee handbook is current and legally compliant? Contact Signum today to discuss your employee handbook needs and to see how we can help!
