As a smaller business that invites growth, you may need to step back and start looking at setting your company up for success. One of these is crafting an employee handbook that protects your business and those who work there.
You may want to include several elements in a handbook, but knowing what needs to go in may save you time, energy and money down the road.
What legal aspects should you include?
Several federal and local laws govern certain aspects of business and the employee-employer relationship. You will want to make space for these laws to give employees a reference point should they need them. Included in this section are things such as:
- The Family Medical Leave Act
- OSHA compliance relevant to your business
- Equal Opportunity Employment Policies
- Workers’ compensation policies related to your business
What about company-specific policies?
You should include anything that has to do with how your business handles wages. This does not mean you need to spell out everyone’s salary or hourly rate, but in this section, you should state the frequency with which you pay people. This section may also tackle how you provide for vacation and sick time. You should also spell out overtime and other wage police practices.
Who reports to who?
A hierarchy of your company may help newer employees navigate situations and report to the proper people. This is especially true if you do not have a true human resources department where employees may express grievances and raise questions regarding discrimination and other sensitive topics.
Someone with an understanding of how employee handbooks work may prove a crucial piece to your team.