Do you have a New Employee Handbook for Induction Training Purposes?

Employee Handbook Planning and layout

As a small business owner, you can help keep yourself out of legal hot water by clearly spelling out on paper what you expect of the people who work for you.

A successful employee handbook helps cut down on misunderstandings. 

The tips below will help you create a document that will serve your company well.

What to include

Your employee handbook should clearly state your company’s policies. Among the areas it should cover:

• general working hours
• company rules and regulations (dress code; how people interact with customers; safety regulations; etc.)
• how vacation time is earned
• paid holidays and personal days
• sick leave
• salary and performance reviews
• overtime policy
• health and medical benefits
• pension plan and other fringe benefits
• maternity policy
• any other rules or regulations

Be clear and concise, and most importantly consistent

The purpose of your employee handbook is to communicate your company’s policies to your employees. It is essential that it is written clearly and directly, so there is no chance for confusion. 

It doesn’t have to be fancy

You might think of an employee handbook as this big, thick printed manual. But many small businesses can easily make do with something simple.

Write it yourself, but have your attorney review it

You can save on legal fees by writing your employee handbook yourself instead of turning the whole project over to your attorney. But be sure to have your attorney review it and fine-tune it if necessary. 

Be sure to have your employees sign for it

Just handing out your employee manual won’t do. When you give your new employee your company handbook or fact sheet, be sure to have him or her sign for it. This form should state that the employee received the handbook and understands your company’s policies. Give a copy of this receipt to the employee, and place another in the employee’s file.

You can find a template sample on www.restauranthub.co and if you mail us we can make you a custom company handbook with no fuss.