by Rebecca Berlin
An employment manual lets your employees know the ground rules. It should include your policies on everything from working hours, to dress code, to benefits to unacceptable behavior. An employment manual not only lets employees know what is expected of them, it lets them know what they can expect from you. And having a written set of policies protects your business from claims of discriminatory practices.
Your employment manual will let you set out consistent policies to be applied to all employees. The manual should address business or working hours and your policy regarding lateness or absences. It should also cover paid and unpaid leave including paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave. It should include how vacation time is earned and if there are any limits on how much can be accrued. Your employment manual should also address your policy on overtime or comp-time if you have one.
If your company requires that employees follow certain safety precautions, say so in your employee manual. Any other company-specific rules should be stated in the employee manual as well. This might include dress codes, rules regarding visitors, policies about personal phone calls, anything that is a rule in your company.
In addition to spelling out the rules, you may want to specify what the consequences of violations will be. For example you may want to state that sexually harassing another employee is cause for dismissal. Or, if an employee violates the dress code you may want to make it clear that they will not be able to have contact with customers.
It is also important to state in your employee manual that employment with your company is "at will". Explain that the employment manual does not create an employment contract. When employment is "at will" this means that either the employer or the employee can end the relationship at any time and for any reason or for no reason. This will prevent your employees from thinking that the only way that you will ever let them go is for a reason specifically stated in the employment manual. There are many reasons why you may need to terminate an employment relationship and you do not want to be constrained by an employment contract. Stating in the employment manual that the employment relationship is "at will" will prevent the misunderstanding that it is an employment contract.
Finally make sure that you document the fact that you have given each employee an employment manual. Do this by having them sign a receipt that states that they have received and understand the employment manual. Keep the signed receipt in the employee's file.
An attorney who practices employment law can help make sure that you cover what is necessary in your employment manual.
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