Creating a small business or startup takes a lot of thought and effort, and managing either entity can as well be a major commitment. Therefore, it’s quite likely you haven’t taken the time to create a thorough employee handbook, but then again why would you? You may not even have a lot of employees on staff yet! But these handbooks, nevertheless, are incredibly important!
Creating an employee handbook may initially look like a tiring experience, but such is often not the case. Furthermore, these resources are essential for ensuring your business reaches the success you desire. Within an employee handbook are the guidelines your employees will consult when faced with either employee-employee disputes or employee-company disputes. In this book, you can outline how employees are expected to act, how they’re expected to perform their duties, how to report things, and how vacation and sick time both work.
Below are five points you should explain in detail in your employee handbook. Remember that with help from OpExpert, you can make your handbook inclusive and very effective.
- Mission and Company Values
The new hires you bring on will want to know what sets your business apart from the competition. If you explain your mission and values, employees will have a good idea of what the business endeavors to achieve. In this section, you can also explain to employees how the business practices ethical decision-making in every process.
- Employee Expectations
New hires will need to know how break times are conducted and when timesheets are due. They’ll also need to know how lunch works, how vacation and sick days are handled, and how overtime pay works. If you include all your company’s important expectations in the handbook, you won’t have to constantly remind employees what the expectations for them are.
- Managerial Duties and Responsibilities
Managers and leaders must work together effectively, and employees must know the functions of the management team as well. In the employee handbook, you can explain what managers are there to do, what their responsibilities are, and how they’re supposed to operate when dealing with higher-ups and subordinates.
- Keep Company Policies Consistent
Handbooks are also great for keeping things consistent in the workplace. If you’re constantly basing policies off emails and face-to-face conversations, confusion and disputes are bound to arise. In the handbook, you can clearly express what will not be tolerated, and you can also express how remedies for problems and complaints can be pursued.
- List Company Benefits
New employees often qualify for benefits after a given probationary period has passed, and employees typically ask for raises in pay after being with a company for at least a year or two. How benefits work with your business should be outlined clearly in your handbook so there’s no confusion. Talk about insurance, vacations, paid time off, and other important benefits employees often seek. If your employees know clearly what their benefits are, it’s quite likely they’ll stay with your company for a long time.
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