Why Your Business Should Have An Employee Policies and Procedures Manual

A company employee handbook or policies and procedures is one of the most important communication tools between your company and your employees. Not only does it set forth your expectations for your employees, but it also describes what they can expect from the company. It is essential that your company has one and that it be clear as possible. Policy and procedure handbooks are developed to help to prevent issues from developing within a workplace or organization. They provide consistency with a single set of rules for all of your employees and will save you time because your employees will have that document to reference. These handbooks should cover everything from time off, use of company equipment, expenses and dress code. They also should include anti-discrimination policies and policies related to termination. Anything that involves how your business is run should be included in the manual.

Any business with employees must establish an effective set of rules and guidelines to define employee conduct, company procedures, and establish safety protocols. Personnel policies are the best way to do that. They help businesses work effectively and the policies also help to legally protect employers in a number of areas, including government regulations, employee safety and disciplinary actions. These laws regulate employee and employer conduct and work practices such as hourly minimum wages, break times and sexual harassment.

Employee evaluations are an area where problems can arise if businesses do not have set procedures. Many companies have lost legal proceedings on charges of discrimination or sexual harassment because the firm did not have a set personnel policy. A key to creating process for employee evaluations is to have a set of disciplinary policies. The personnel policies focus on conduct that concerns such things as work quality, punctuality, employee attitude and general professional conduct. Some states require employee evaluations to be a part of any disciplinary action and procedure for the dismissal of an employee. These actions should always be defined to avoid possible litigation.

Although having an employee handbook or manual it is not a requirement to run a business, it is a really good idea for any business to create one. An employee manual standardizes procedures, defines employee conduct, and allows employers to terminate employees without the fear of being sued. Setting personnel policies in a written format is the best way for any size company to protect its business. The company employee handbook and related personnel policies should be one of the first formal communications that you will have with an employee after they are hired. When an employee is hired, the manual should be given to them letting them know that they need to review the entire document. Each employee should know that it is their responsibility to read and understand the company handbook. An acknowledgement form should be included with the handbook and should be signed and returned by the employee with a week or two. Once this has been returned, schedule time within the first month they are hired to go over any questions they may have to avoid any misunderstandings later.

Employee manuals are designed to protect not only your business by the employees as well. Article Source: Ubezpieczenie Olsztyn Witosa

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