Fill in the Blanks for an Employee Handbook

An employee handbook performs several valuable functions. It can answer employee questions about benefits, holidays and company policies; specify what an employer’s expectations are for employees; help convey your firm’s sense of professionalism to current and prospective employees; and help keep your company out of court. If you’ve been putting off writing such a manual, the Legal Foundation of the National Federation of Independent Business has a model employee handbook that can make your job easier. To download a copy, go to www. nfib.com, click on the link for the legal foundation, then the one for “useful resources.” While companies can pick and choose which sections of the 35-page document to use, the NFIB recommends that all employee handbooks contain the following items:

(1) an employment at-will disclaimer; (2) a statement regarding equal employment opportunity; (3) a policy prohibiting unlawful discrimination and harassment; (4) rules concerning privacy and use of company property; (5) employment classification and overtime rules; (6) a policy on family and medical leave if you have 50 or more employees; and (7) safety and disciplinary guidelines. Don’t forget to have an employment lawyer review the manual. While compiling your own document is a good money-saver for small businesses, you should always have a legal expert look it over.