The end of the year is a period of reflection for many people, as they review the year behind them and decide what their goals for the upcoming year will be. This makes December the perfect time to take a look at your employee handbook and see if there are any changes to make.
Keeping an updated employee handbook is essential. Your handbook not only lets employees know what important company policies to follow, but it also provides documentation in case an employee or former employee tries to sue your company. Frequent updates to your handbook ensure that you protect your employees and your business. Here are some useful tips for what to look for when beginning your employee handbook review tips.
Check state, federal, and industry guidelines.
These change frequently and you need to make sure that all of your policies and procedures adhere to these. Your employee handbook should reflect current safety regulations and other workplace standards.
Update or add social media policies.
If you haven’t updated your employee handbook in a while, you may not have a clearly defined set of rules for employees to adhere to for social media and internet use. Come up with a clearly defined policy so your employees know what your social media rules are. Whether you forbid it on company time or allow it in certain instances, your employees need to know what the rules are.
Review smoking and drug use policies.
This is especially important if you live in a state that has recently legalized marijuana use. Let your employees know if you will make use of drug testing. Also let them know of the consequences of coming to work while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. You may also want to clarify where employees may smoke while on break.
Think about issues that have come up in the past.
If you’ve had any issues or questions regarding company policy in the past year, include these in your updated handbook. These can include questions on attendance, overtime, scheduling, or promotion issues. Perhaps these areas were already included in your previous handbook, but weren’t clear enough for your employees to understand. Revise them or create new sections for these issues as needed.
Make sure each employee gets a copy.
Once your revisions are complete, hand out a copy to every employee. Have them sign a form stating that they have read, understand, and accept the new handbook.
If you have questions or need help with updating your employee handbook contact us today.
