Employee Manuals are an indispensable tool for companies of virtually any size. Well, at least if you have more than five employees. Many businesses, especially smaller ones, neglect this important document to their great detriment. Some feel that they lose the flexibility of making decisions on the fly or carving out special situations for highly respected employees. What this decision really does is create confusion and ambiguity.

The law does not require that you have an Employee Manual. But a practical understanding of the law does. Verbal communication of company policy is no proof that you actually have a policy. This leaves you vulnerable to multiple interpretations (always to the employee's benefit) and places you in much greater jeopardy of employee lawsuits. Why not cut this off at the pass?

Why do you need an Employee Manual? Here's why.

• It establishes expectations. Your employees deserve this, and they get a better idea of what you expect of them in terms of performance standards, workplace behavior, grievance procedures, and the like.
• It is a convenient, reusable way to communicate workplace information. What is the vacation policy? Personal day policy? Do we President's Day off? Standard benefits? Working hours? Overtime requirements? Hiring standards? And so much more.
• You have a formal acknowledgement that the employee was informed about these matters. You minimize the "that's not what so and so told me" conflicts.
• By establishing well written, well disseminated policies, the company can expect its managers to act in a reasonably standard manner. The biggest problem that companies face in this regard is a lack of perceived fairness. You can make this problem disappear.
• If you do not have an Employee Manual, past and present actions become the de facto policies. You inevitably drift into bad employee practices without even considering what you are doing. Writing an Employee Manual provides discipline and lets you make policy instead of stumbling into it. Isn't that what you are paid to do in the first place?
• It minimizes the likelihood of employee lawsuits.

• It requires you to consider what your policies should be and then write them down. Aren't you busy enough already? (Don't answer that; it was rhetorical.)
• You think you will run the risk of being bound by policies that you may not like in the long run. Not so because you will make sure that the manual can be revised at management's discretion.
• It can create employment contracts where none were intended. This is simply not true and one hundred percent avoidable. You will stress that the Employee Manual is not a contract; you will make sure the employee signs a statement acknowledging this fact in a signature form; and you will have a clear, unambiguous statement that employment at your company is at will.
• Your Employee Manual may be poorly drafted and create more fog and mist than it clears up. This, of course, won't happen if WritingHelp.com drafts it.

If you are a one woman shop and your husband helps part time with the books, you have other issues to deal with and don't need a manual. How about five employees? Probably, but it's up to you. You certainly need some written policies. Ten employees? Absolutely. While there is no bright line and no legal mandate, by the time you have ten employees you are simply risking too much to ignore this important document.

What should be included in the Employee Manual?

Here are some of the areas you should probably include in your manual. I say probably because the size of your company and your management philosophy will come into play when considering what topics to address. But at least start with this list.

Likely Topics:

• Employee signature/acknowledgement form
• Confidentiality
• Non contractual section; subject to management revision; employment at will
• Personnel file
• Equal employment opportunity
• Probation period
• Standards of conduct
• Safety rules and accident reporting procedures
• Violence and weapons
• Substance abuse
• Smoking in the workplace
• Sexual and other harassment policies
• Conflicts of interest and outside employment
• Use of company property
• Dress code
• Performance reviews; personnel evaluations, and employee reprimands
• Job sharing
• Bonuses
• Expense reporting and reimbursement
• Vacation, personal day, and sick day policy
• Emergency closing and severe weather
• Work hours, overtime, and reporting requirements
• Holidays
• Family and medical leave
• Maternity leave
• Jury duty
• Military service
• Grievance procedures
• Workers compensation
• Retirement plans
• Tuition assistance

How can you help me in this regard?

Now we're talking. We draft, edit, and proofread Employee Manuals on a regular basis. WritingHelp.com can add value by asking you to consider what should and should not be included in the manual depending upon your circumstances. We clarify language and provide detail where it is needed. We suggest what areas to delete and point out areas where you may be saying too much. We check for grammar, awkward structure and verbiage, and overall content. In short, we customize out work to your needs.

Since requirements vary so widely in this area, we would have to discuss your specific situation. After that, we would be pleased to submit a quote outlining the work we propose to do. If you would like to go forward, please contact our office via phone or email and we will address this in more detail.