Creating Your Own Employee Policy Manual What to Look for and What Goes in It!
Writing an employee policy manual is not that difficult at all.
When I was researching software programs that would meet the needs of small business owners that was written by employment attorneys and didn't cost an arm and a leg I went through a great deal of them.
One software company even began calling me to place their program on this site. Unfortunately they didn't pass the test of professionally written by employment attorneys and was very expensive. Now in their defense they did have their employment manual software reviewed by attorneys but not what I was looking for.
If you have done any type of search at all for a software on employee manuals or handbooks you will find that the competition is huge.
Because of my experience in Human Resources I knew what I was looking for. I didn't want some complicated software package that in the end the employee that read it would think that they were reading a court document written in Greek and it would fly right over the top of their head.
No I was looking for that professionally written employee policy manual that was written in plain English and easy for an employee to understand. After all that is the whole purpose of the document.
In fact I found a software, Standard Legal, for less than $35 that I purchased and tested so that I could feel confident recommending it. The incredible thing was that it was written by employment attorneys. This would save a small business hundreds if not thousands of dollars to protect themselves while informing their staff of the rules.
Once I downloaded the employee policy manual software from Standard Legal I was able to quickly see that it would meet the needs of almost any small business.
What I liked most was that it was like I was working right in my very own word processing program, Microsoft Office Word.
As an example you can adjust how many unscheduled absences you allow. It's extremely easy. I provided just one sample below that Standard Legal helped me write.
Sample Attendance Policy
This Company fully understands and recognizes the value of providing quality service to its customers. To ensure that quality, every associate is required and expected to be at work when scheduled.
When an associate is planning to be absent from any portion of a scheduled work day other than for previously scheduled vacation, that associate must notify their Supervisor no less than three (3) days prior to the absence. We also understand that there are unexpected circumstances (emergencies such as a death in the family) that may prohibit your ability to meet this requirement and in those cases it is critical that you present your request at the very earliest opportunity.
When an associate is unexpectedly unable to report to work, or is going to be late, that associate must contact their supervisor no later than two hours prior to the time that the associate is scheduled to be at work.
Failure to notify your supervisor of such absence may result in disciplinary action.
When an associate experiences unscheduled absences on consecutive days, that associate must contact their supervisor each day. Failure to notify your supervisor may result in disciplinary action. Failure to notify your supervisor for three (3) consecutive workdays will be considered your voluntary resignation. Written medical verification authorizing you to return to work will be required of any associate that exceeds an unscheduled absence for two (2) consecutive workdays.
Tardiness will not be tolerated. There is no grace period. Excessive tardiness may result in disciplinary action being taken. An associate will not be paid for the time he or she is tardy to work.
Absences for a death in the associate's immediate family (spouse, child, parent or grandparent), illness with a doctor's excuse or verifiable auto accident may be deemed "excused" absences by the Company for which no disciplinary action will be taken.
I used Standard Legal to Assist me in Writing this Sample Employee Policy Manual Policy. This Software is less than $36
Sample Sexual Harassment Policy
Our Company is committed to insuring a safe workplace in which all individuals are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. Our Company promotes equal opportunities for every employee that is free from any discriminatory practices, which includes sexual harassment. Any form of sexual harassment as defined below, regardless of verbal or physical, is prohibited. Under the law sexual harassment is considered illegal and will not be tolerated.
As it relates to our policy the definition of sexual harassment is any unwelcome advances of a sexual nature or requests for sexual favors. The sexual advances, physical conduct, or action can be verbal or non-verbal. It becomes illegal when submission to or rejection of this sexual conduct is used for explicitly or implicitly as a factor in employment decisions, performance reviews, advancements, training opportunities, etc. If this sexual conduct substantially interferes with a person’s employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment it is also considered illegal.
Sample Employee Conduct Policy
Every individual is expected to execute their assigned duties as directed during on duty time. It is also critical to our success that every individual will respect and cooperate with other staff members and customers to perform their assigned duties. In the event there is ever a conflict it is the responsibility of everyone to bring that to the attention of their supervisor for resolution and will not engage with any other individual. It is also important to understand that excessive talking and/or horseplay can distract and place individual’s safety or dignity at risk, as well as, decrease productivity. All individuals are to remain in their assigned work area during duty time. The above policy is for the safety and welfare of all employees and violations will not be tolerated.
I used Standard Legal to Assist me in Writing this Sample Policy. This Software is less than $36
Utilizing an employee policy manual template
Templates are widely-used by experts and beginners as well to produce employee manuals. It requires a substantial challenge and lowers it into a quick achievable process. Not using the benefits of software the process could take days to weeks. Using Standard Legal's handbook template, nearly all personnel manuals are produced for small enterprises in a matter of hours.
Human resources experts utilize an employee policy manual template to produce personnel manuals on behalf of his or her customers or for their own company. They're acquainted with the procedure and will produce the majority of the content within a reasonably short time period. When creating employee manuals for a number of organizations within the common geographical area or market segment you are able to make use of a great deal of what's utilized for one company in numerous other employee manuals. Charges for such manuals produced by hr experts commonly run several hundred dollars, frequently in the thousands.
Web based Manual Builders likewise use an employee handbook template to produce a handbook for his or her clients. The client subscribes, compensates and then supplies the builder with all of the details required to complete the template and produce a manual for the client. A lot of these web sites essentially require you to do everything and then they fill in the blanks. Charges for these particular website manual builders also generally can be hundreds and sometimes even thousands, driven by extra services performed such as publishing, personalized covers, as well as in some instances legal help.
Attorneys also produce personnel manuals using employee policy manual templates. For substantial hourly charges the attorney may sit down with a person, ask questions as well as start completing the manual by filling in the template for you. When finished this will be extremely comparable to both of the versions described previously apart from that the lawyer has offered his or her blessing prior to giving it to you. Generally charges for such employee manuals can cost very much and often into the thousands.
Every one of these methods produces a handbook utilizing an employee policy manual template. The explanation is simple. Minus the template, charges would certainly increase dramatically for every one of these experts. Professionals elect not to re-invent the wheel. By using an employee policy manual template it saves money and time and for that reason you need to also.Choices for producing your own employee manual
You may choose to produce your own manual without the benefit of an employee policy manual template.
To produce a manual without a template you'll need to establish every one of the subject areas, figure out precisely how to write them as well as determine a format. As soon as the arrangement is created as well as subject areas included it will need to be centered on your company.
Alternatively, you can utilize an employee policy manual template just like the experts.You also may utilize an employee policy manual template and receive all the benefits associated with it. By downloading Standard Legal's you'll save all the upfront tedious tasks by merely filling in the template, select from choices and modify any of the subject areas to adapt the procedures of your organization. It is simple to modify any subject to satisfy your requirements, particularly for your staff. Standard Legal's employee policy manual template, is comprehensive together with thorough instructions, and makes creating an employee handbook very easy.
If you have a computer and a little time that is all you need with the aid of Standard Legal's policy manual software to create your own employee Policy Manual.
By doing the work yourself it will allow you to custom design your manual according to your specific needs.
By using this software you will eliminate the back and forth phone calls from the agency you hire to do the job for you.
Worse than the back in forth phone calls would be that they make some of the decisions for you.
Most software programs are produced by lawyers
The right software will eliminate the guess work since they offer countless policies to choose from. Some I'm sure you have never even considered until you review them within the software package. No need to worry about the proper wording either since it is right within the software package. That's right, everything-is right there at your finger tips.
The great news is that all the research of the state and federal laws has already been done for you saving you an incredible amount of time. When you finish your Policy Manual it will be a legal document that you can use in the unlikely event of an employee lawsuit.
Most software programs offer countless examples
Your staff will love the idea that you have produced your own employee policy manual so that they can begin to look up policies and regulations on their own. This will save them and you a lot of time. You can customize the manual to fit your organization specifically.
The right employee manual software provides hundreds of examples of policies and regulations that meet the legal requirements. No need to search for hours or days for the legal requirements anymore, since it will be incorporated right into your manual. Everything from policies on sexual harassment to no call no shows can be spelled out right in your employee manual.
Remember this is a document that spells out your rules
One of the most forgotten aspects of creating your own Policy Manual is to make sure you provide a copy to your employees. In addition, to providing them a copy make sure you get a signature from them acknowledging that they have received a copy and understand it. You may even want to hold a presentation the first time through. This is critical if you ever need to go to court or any other legal proceeding.
Most software programs allow you to address the difficult questions and present them in a very professional manner without targeting anyone employee. My guess is that you have at least one employee that you hope will pay special attention to the policies and regulations. Everyone has one of those employees. By having an employee manual it will allow you to communicate your expectations in a clear and concise manner to everyone without discriminating against anyone.
Again, everyone wants to know what is expected of them and as it relates to the rules and regulations of the organization that they work the employee Policy Manual is the best way to provide that to them. It will be a tool that you can use to keep everyone informed as those same rules change. Yes when you, the state, or the federal government makes changes to policies or laws you can make the immediate changes within your software saving incredible amounts of time and money. In this economy every way we can save money is important.
Having an Attorney Produce your Employee Handbook Can Get Very Expensive Quickly!
It can get very expensive having an attorney draft up and produce an employee policy manual for your organization. The good news is that you can produce something equally well by using some of the great software available today. This not only will save you a great deal of money but time also. After all, attorneys don't work for free.
If you have a computer to work from, and who doesn't, it is all you need to produce your own legal employee policy manual. This will also save you the time of having to order additional copies every time you need some, and then wait for them to arrive. I know that it's hard to believe, but the right software can meet all the legal requirements of the state and federal government.
You will be able to select the policies and regulations that meet your organizational needs
Even if you're not good at writing the right employee manual software will help you to create a professional manual. You will be able to select the policies and regulations that meet your organizational needs and put them directly into your manual. It is generally that easy!
The good news is that the hard work of researching the current state and federal laws has already been done. This insures that your employee policy manual is a completely legal document that will stand up in a courtroom. That alone will help reduce the chances of your organization being subjected to a lawsuit unnecessarily. Most employee policy manual software is written by lawyers so it should help reduce your need for one.
Your employees will be happy also that you have an employee policy manual so that they can look up policies on their own. This is an incredible time saver for everyone since they will no longer have to seek out people to get them an answer.
Most software programs offer countless examples
The software will be able to provide you with countless examples of already created policies to choose from. Some you may not have even thought of until you review them in the software package. You can select from any number of policies from tardiness to harassment. It can make you look very smart to your employees and peers.
One area that so many organizations forget to follow through on is to have their employees sign acknowledging that they have read and understand your employee policy manual. This should be documented and placed in their official personnel file in the event you need proof that they understood their responsibilities and the rules.
It is important for them to know what the expectations are.
Producing an employee policy manual will allow you to implement and enforce policies in a fair manner not singling out anyone or group in particular. Having your own software will also allow you to make changes when either your organization or the state and federal government laws change as they always do.
Yes having an employee policy manual will inform all your staff what the rules and regulations are. It is important for them to know what the expectations are. Having these policies in a professional document will clarify those expectations and insure that everyone is treated fairly. This will go a long way to avoiding a discrimination claim. Make sure you continually comply with all state and federal laws.
Using Software Can Cut Your Costs By Thousands!
For several hundred dollars you can get an employee policy manual custom designed to fit the needs of your company. Or the surprising fact is that you can do this yourself at a fraction of the cost with software designed specifically for this purposes. In this tough economy the money you save makes it worthwhile. Remember whenever you involve an attorney the cost is high so consider developing it with software instead.
There is no special need for you to go out and get additional office equipment to operate the software. By doing it yourself with the right employee policy manual software you can be assured that the job will be done exactly as you would like it to be. The great thing is that you are doing it right from your own computer in your office. Once it is complete you can simply print it out anytime you desire. No you won't have to wait for any service to provide you with additional copies when you need them.
The wording is designed to meet the requirements
The great part about a good employee policy software program is that it can eliminate any guess work because it generally has all the legal requirements built right into it. The wording is designed to meet the requirements since most software programs are produced by lawyers themselves. All you do is select the policies that apply to your specific organization and it places it into your employee manual for you.
Because attorneys generally design the software there is no need to do the long hours of research generally required. If done properly this is a completely legal document that can be used in a courtroom if challenged. The good news is that it reduces your chances of an employee lawsuit because the policies are stated in writing. Remember you don't need an attorney to produce the employee policy manual on your own with the right software.
Follow all the Federal and State laws
When you think of the time that the right software will save you, you'll be glad. Your staff will also benefit since they will be able to look up most of their questions on their own with the employee policy manual. Provided you follow all the Federal and State laws you can customize the employee manual to fit your organizations very specific needs.
Most software programs offer countless examples of policies that you can select from and use, making the changes you wish. No more looking into all kinds of manuals or searching the web for the right answers or wording to be used. All the policies are available from a smoking policy to theft will be there to select from.
One of the most forgotten aspects of having an employee policy manual is to have your staff read and sign acknowledging they have received and understand it. Remember this is a document that spells out your rules, as well as the Federal and State Government, so it is important that your staff knows what they are. If you are ever faced with going to court to prove the employee knew the rules you will be glad you have their signature on a document showing it.
Knowing that the laws continually change it will be a time and money saver
With the right software you can develop an employee policy manual that will answer many of the questions and concerns of your staff in a very professional manner. Knowing that the laws continually change it will be a time and money saver to have your software right at your finger tips to make the necessary changes. Remember you want it continually up to date since it is the document setting your expectations for your staff.
Your employee policy manual is the easiest way for you to layout the rules and regulations in a fair and concise manner. Provided that you follow it fairly, it will leave no doubt that you are not discriminating against anyone person or group. Although most good software programs incorporate all federal and state laws it is still your responsibility to ensure that you are following them.
Why Pay More Than You Need To For Your Employee Policy Manual!
You can get an employee policy manual custom designed for a few hundred dollars. You can do that same job yourself with software specifically designed for this at a fraction of the price. The money you save alone is well worth doing this yourself. A lawyer to tell you what is needed could cost hundreds of dollars alone.
The only equipment you need is what you already have sitting right in your own office. This can allow you to know the job is done exactly as you want it and meets all legal requirements. You can do this from your own computer and then print out as many as you need, when you need, right from your own printer. There's never any need to place an order and wait for them to come in.
This software takes all the guess work out of creating your own customized employee manual
This software takes all the guess work out of creating your own customized employee manual. You don't have to wonder what to put in it or even the best ways to word what you need. Everything is right there for you to select and modify as needed.
All of the laws have been researched for you. This is a completely legal document that will stand up in court if needed. It can help you reduce the chance of employee lawsuits and protect your interests. No lawyer is needed to create your own policy manual.
This software can be a great time saver as well. Your employees can quickly find answers to routine questions right in their own manual. You can customize these to your specific business and policies as long as you follow all state and federal laws.
Acknowledge that you did your part in making sure your employee knew the rules and regulations
Hundreds of examples are right there for you to insert or modify as needed. No more searching for the information you need in your book. Everything from pensions to sexual harassment policies are covered right in the software package.
And you shouldn't forget to have your employee sign for their copy. This is a document that will acknowledge that you did your part in making sure your employee knew the rules and regulations. This is a must have if you ever have to go to court and you can easily download a print copies as needed.
This software allows you to address questions and concerns in a professional manner without singling out an employee. Having this software also allows you to make changes as the need arises or as your business grows. A manual of this type communicates your expectations and lets your employees know what they may expect from you.
An employee policy manual is the best way to let each and every employee know the rules you expect them to follow. This is also the best way to ensure they all know they are expected to follow the same rules which can help if you are ever accused of discrimination. Some state laws may vary and you will want to be sure all laws are followed to keep you and your business safe from any and all types of lawsuits.
Do You Really Need and Employee Handbook?
Is an employee policy manual really necessary for your staff? I guess I would simply ask you another question and that would be, do you like paying out large settlements to employees that think they were treated unfairly by you? It may only take one time to learn your lesson and put you out of business.
Every unemployment hearing I have ever been to I have been asked if the employee was aware of our policy, not matter what the policy was. Fortunately I have always had our employee policy manual with me, knowing they would be asking, and once I provided the policy and their acknowledgment that they had received it the hearing was pretty much over. It’s pretty simple in that once you are able to show the employee knew your policy and violated it anyway you have won.
One of the employees thought that they earned vacation throughout the year
At our Church I was on the Personnel Committee and produced an employee policy manual for them. Most would not think church staff would require a employee handbook but guess what, we did and it cleared up the questions instantly. In this case it was regarding the church’s vacation and sick leave policy. One of the employees thought that they earned vacation throughout the year; however, the policy stated they earned it after the year was completed. In fact if they left prior to finishing the year the leave was forfeited. Our policy manual answered the question.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) generally makes most organizations tremble when they receive an inquiry from them regarding an employee complaint. I in fact received one very early in my Human Resources Career and I too was nervous. The employee was in a protected class and was charging our company with terminating her because of it. Once I was able to show the EEOC that she violated our stated policy within our employee policy manual the claim was dropped.
Payroll, attendance, smoking, sexual harassment, discrimination, dress codes, leave, fighting, theft, disrespect, break times, and much more
There is only one document that can clearly spell out what a company’s employee policies are. That document is an employee policy manual. It should be used as a tool to help your staff know, especially when they are new, what your policies are on payroll, attendance, smoking, sexual harassment, discrimination, dress codes, leave, fighting, theft, disrespect, break times, and much more. Use it to your advantage, but make sure you have them sign for their copy.
There is not a better investment for the money you will make in your business. An employee policy manual can be created so easily and inexpensively with some of the best software out there now to work with. Most of the software programs have been written under the guidance of attorneys. The good news is that most will ask you questions so it will help you to think about whether or not you should include some of the suggested policies and topics. You can get this software for around $35 and up. How much better does it get.
Here's Just One More Reason to Develop An Employee Handbook!
If you don't have any other reason to develop an employee manual you should consider one for the simple reason of outlining your attendance and leave policy. Your staff can misunderstand many of your rules and policies but I find that this one more than any other is not completely understood. So my recommendation to avoid any problems would be to produce one for this purpose.
If you offer vacation and/or sick leave it can easily be misunderstood on how it is earned. If you do offer vacation leave you probably are like most organizations and they do not actually earn it until the year has been completed. Now keep in mind that some states do not allow this and require that if someone should leave prior to completing their first full year they would be paid whatever it is that they earned to that point. In either case you need to outline it in your employee manual so there is no misunderstanding.
Do they still earn vacation for the time they were out or not?
Yes, the employee manual is a powerful tool to outline exactly how your employee earns their vacation. Just one simple example of how it could be misunderstood would be if you state that they are awarded one week paid vacation after one full year of employment it seems pretty straight forward. However, what if during that first year they were out on unpaid leave for six weeks to have a baby. Do they still earn vacation for the time they were out or not? This needs to be spelled out in your manual.
How do you handle tardy? Are they considered tardy the first second after their assigned schedule is supposed to begin or do you allow a grace period? If you do allow a grace period how does it work? If you don't allow a grace period and they are tardy the second after their assigned schedule is to begin are they penalized any pay for each minute they are late? There are many questions that can be answered by simply having an employee manual.
What is considered an unscheduled day off and how is it handled?
What is considered an unscheduled day off and how is it handled? How do you define a No Call No Show and what form of discipline to you issue if an employee violates this policy? Can an employee be terminated for one violation or does it take more than one? If it takes more than one do they need to be consecutive or do they need to just total up to a certain amount within a certain time period? You can see how quickly you can get confused about what appears to be a simple policy. Having an employee manual can clear those types of discussion up and keep you out of trouble.
There is no substitute for having an employee manual. Besides the fact that it could save you in an employee legal issue, but it can help to eliminate even the possibility if your employees know and understand up front. There are plenty of ways a company can get into trouble without even trying so why stack the deck against you. Why not do the simple thing and create your own policy manual using some very inexpensive software
Writing an employee policy manual is not that difficult at all.
