Learn why you should boot your system of annual evaluations and rethink the way you approach performance management. Browse the Venngage employee handbook templates and get started creating your handbook today. Workest is powered by Zenefits. It is an essential resource so it is important to get it right. Draft your own relevant policies by using our easy-to-modify template containing these sections: If something doesnt work out, employees need to have an idea of how their employment relationship with your company will end. This means . Employee handbooks can paint a clear understanding of what their supervisors expect of them. The ultimate guide to recruiting & onboarding for SMEs, Access over 600 HR consultants nationwide, Registered in England, Company Number 3020608, Copyright 2023 Centurion, all rights reserved. Employee handbooks are truly a choose your own adventureno one size fits all scenario. Typically though, the best employee handbooks usually include the following information: There is no law requiring you to have an employee handbook. The employee handbook is typically provided to new hires. This is particularly useful when showcasing the range of benefits your company offers. In many employee handbook examples, such as this one, the key policy dates or whatever are highlighted in a box that is a different color. Tip: Use Netflix's "straight to the point" approach to keep your handbook efficient. In some cases, an employee handbook can help defend the company against employee claims. Neither the author nor Workable will assume any legal liability that may arise from the use of these templates. Why not invite your team to help you create your companys handbook with you? If you start with policies or laws, employees are more likely to stop reading. Establishing a high-performance culture will help create a positive employee experience and boost overall company performance. An employee handbook is sometimes called an employee field guide or a staff manual. After reading the handbook, they should have a solid understanding of the company, including how things are done and whats expected of them. This helps them approach their work with more confidence and increases their efficiency right off the bat. Serves as a resource for employees to check dress codes, vacation and sick leave policies, parking recommendations, timekeeping policies, etc. Diversity and equal opportunities. With the Venngage My Brand Kit tool, Business users can upload their company fonts, color palettes, and logos and see them instantly applied to their employee handbook template. Think about the presentation of your handbook - take your time with the layout and format making sure to engage employees visually. Tailor your employee handbook to your business, A New Way to Approach Employee Performance Reviews, Compensation Best Practices (HR Checklist + Guide), HR Checklist for Remote Hiring and Onboarding, Allows you to formalize your employment policies and procedures, Helps you develop consistent policies and procedures, keeping all team members on the same page, Decreases the risk of employee complaints and lawsuits, such as employees claiming you did not tell them about their workplace rights. An employee handbook tells your employees what to expect, and should be written in easy to understand language. Employee Onboarding Checklists: What to Include, 10 Ways to Prepare for an Employees First Day, Use It or Lose It Paid Time Off vs. Flex Time, 6 Tips for Crafting an Employee Dating Policy, 5 Example PTO Policies From Actual Small Business Owners. AirMason's online employee handbook software makes it easy to create, distribute, track and update digital employee handbooks anytime, anywhere. The interactive format is visually appealing and easy to navigate. Planet42, a South Africa-based car subscription company that buys . This will ensure you include all necessary materials to make your handbook effective. Some people prefer to work methodically writing pages from start to finish, whereas others prefer to jump about adding information as it enters their brain. New employees should receive a hard copy of the handbook on their first day. If your business fails to keep your employee handbook updated to reflect necessary changes, it can place your business at risk of cultural disruption and worse, litigation. Valve also explains its hierarchy which is flat allowing its employee's to pick their projects, which this modern approach to work is supported by Valves slightly "off-beat" approach to its handbook. 12 Effective Performance Review Examples [+ Tips From an HR Manager]. An employee handbook is a document created by Human Resources. Our real-time collaboration feature(Business plans only) will help you collaborate with your team anytime, anywhere, in real-time: Post the handbook in various locations. This is where your employees will refer to when they have questions on compliance and ethics. When creating an employee handbook youre providing new employees with a taste of the company and its culture so its especially important that you use your company brand guidelines. An employee handbook provides an introduction of your company to new hires, so use it to communicate your mission and values. How often should you update your employee handbook? Here are the contents of our Employment Basics template: This section describes what your workplace is and should be like. (See Personnel Policies .) Our employee handbook templates are inspired from real-life handbooks published by top brands. Mix and match fonts within your employee handbook to create an interesting design, like in this Starbucks employee handbook example. The company handbook can begin with an introduction to the company, setting out your organisation's aims and ethos. An employee handbook tells your employees what to expect, and should be written in easy to understand language. It is also a road map for employees, clearly outlining what behaviors and work patterns are acceptable to the company. Use Website In a Screen-Reader Mode And Policies Now is a deluxe program (hrtools.com; $199) that . You could even create your employee handbook as an interactive PDF and interlink between documents and websites, to make it easy for your employees to find all of the specific documents and sites that you reference within the handbook. The handbook acts as an employee manual. A lot of . You will need a firm understanding of your companys foundation, mission, core values, employment law requirements, and more. Not only that, this handy document can help foster a positive workplace culture and, on occasion, help you out legally. It uses wonderfully colorful children's illustration to bring to life this 7 page handbook. Once youve carefully crafted your employee handbook, its time to get it seen. An employee handbook, staff handbook or handbook for employees, is a collection of an employer's policies, practices and procedures in one accessible document. A step-by-step guide. The best way to share your employee handbook is to integrate it into your onboarding process, which you can automate with Deel. Ive also included premade employee handbook templates and lots of employee handbook examples. But when your employees check back in with your employee handbook they are likely to be looking for a specific piece of information. Your employee handbook should outline that this is the case and should clearly explain that it is a disciplinary offence. The following is required for Saver Group, Inc employees: Pressed/ironed company shirt, vest, or smock. The 7 examples we provided above give some insight into how to create an attractive handbook that employees will want to read. Employee handbooks and policy manuals are often confused for one another. An employee handbook can be incredibly useful in communicating essential information to employees and building a positive workplace culture, but its not easy to develop one. It would also be useful to cover areas such as overtime, working hours and family medical packages. However, if they are minor or non-detrimental and they are not part of the contract of employment, they can be updated in line with current legislation as and when required, without having to obtain your employee's agreement. Using humor in the workplace can be hugely beneficial for your employees. Hopefully, this top 10 has given you some inspiration on your own employee handbook! If you dont already have one of these, we highly recommend you create one. Employee handbooks typically include three categories of content:. This is a very extensive handbook at 296 pages. This approach might not work for everybody, but if your company prides itself on its wit, sarcasm, and tongue in cheek approach to communications then this could work for you. Using fonts like a pro can seem overwhelming but just remember: Most decorative to least decorative = headers to body. 3. Employee Performance, 15 February, 2023 by This is usually a signed form to show that the employee understand the contents of the employee handbook. Read our Employee handbook sample here . For employees, a well-constructed, thorough and well-written handbook lets them know the company's expectations for . Even if you know what needs to go into your employee handbook, such as company policy, you may still struggle to envision what its supposed to look like. A policy manual, on the other hand, is a document that tells your employees how to do things, and may include more technical information. Easily share documents with employees and access them from anywhere to streamline your HR admin. As the company grows, having a source of truth regarding processes, codes of conduct, and behaviors becomes integral to preventing and extinguishing conflict. 1:05 AM PST February 22, 2023. Certain countries require you to have an official employee handbook outlining mandatory work rules by law. Learning about the companys history, mission, and core values can increase employee engagement and loyalty. The document is given to all new starters to ensure onboarding best practices are met. It makes them feel appreciated and apart of a team as well as reducing employee turnover. 2- With the right employee handbook, you can codify your company culture. This will include guidance on workplace ethics and expected behaviour. Employee handbooks and policy manuals can seem similar, but they are two very different things. But as your company grows, its helpful to create a central space for all of your processes and policies to live early on. Tell us what *you* think of our resources and what youd like to see here in 2023. #4 - Employee Welcome Handbook. Streamline onboarding, benefits, payroll, PTO, and more with our simple, intuitive platform. This will explain to your employees how they can raise a grievance and how you as an employer should respond. An employee handbook or manual is a guide given to employees that includes everything related to an organization's policies. Help your employees locate the information they need quicker by making use of headers and subheaders within your employee handbook. Tip: Want your company to feel connected? They help a company outline workplace expectations, giving employees a defined structure to work from. The clickable table of contents enables readers to find and refer back to the information they need at their convenience. This is especially true in small businesses that often operate administratively on an as-needed basis. It is very extensive and includes future policies about how they plan to scale, which is expected from such a large and fast growing company. #2 - Employee Handbook. Its a lot easier to know how your handbook should look when you have real-world examples to work from. An employee handbook is sometimes called an employee field guide or a staff manual. We created a Leaving our company template to address relevant issues. It provides new hires and employees with information about the company, such as its: For new hires, this information is vital to getting started on their 1st day. Examples of what you should include in an employee handbook. Businesses must ensure their branding conveys a consistent message no matter the recipient. Provide employees with a copy of our company car policy if they are assigned a company car. Using your table of contents, create a blank page in your document for each section and add the section header (check the employee handbook example below). To support your efforts even further, heres our guide on what each section entails and tips to flesh out your own employee manual matching your companys requirements: Keep in mind that our employee handbook examples and relevant advice are not legal documents and may not take into account all relevant local or national laws. Customize the template to reflect federal, state, and local laws, and . We have employees from all around to world, so we wanted to make somethingreadable, digestible and entertaining - Fisher (CEO). This should include: A clear code of conduct section will help you in those difficult conversations with an employee who is not meeting requirements, allowing you to refer back to it for support. It should also be clear, concise, and contain the company's: While there are no direct laws enforcing the use of an employee handbook, there are some state laws requiring you to inform your employees of their workplace rights. Ideally, every employee should be introduced to the employee handbook on their first day during the onboarding process and have easy access to the document throughout their time at the company. Showcase the benefits your company can offer. For example, if you are dismissing an employee for discrimination or harassment, you can refer to the employee handbook and the employee performance standards set within. 2023 PeopleGoal, Inc. All rights reserved. Workable helps companies of all sizes hire at scale. A companys employee handbook should also detail practical information regarding company policies. On top of those weve mentioned, there are a number of other elements that you should be aware of. Step 2: Design your employee handbook using a template An employee handbook is primarily an employee facing document, so this is the ideal place to outline your employees rights and obligations related to employment but in plain English instead of the legal-jargon native to contracts. Ideally, every employee should be introduced to the employee handbook on their first day during theonboarding processand have easy access to the document throughout their time at the company. This will help guide the rest of your employee handbook, and make sure that you dont miss anything. These cookies help us analyze how many people are using Venngage, where they come from and how they're using it. Lastly, handbooks operate as an information communication vehicle to facilitate the integration of employees within the company while committing to fostering a feeling of belonging across teams. Tip: Valve continuously uses real life examples, which is great for getting too grips with the office life and to be better prepared for real life situations. It should also include your equality policies. They are a great way to demonstrate how you are committed to tackling indirect and direct discrimination in the workplace. It will also display the company's stance on these issues. An employee handbook contains so much information that it can be quite overwhelming, so avoid large blocks of text whenever possible. Americas: +1 857 990 9675 Trello, another technology powerhouse, is well-known forpublicly hosting its handbook, which they refer to as an employee manual on its platform. Its tone is very conservational making it easy to relate to. Why should you create an employee handbook? Make sure you take the time to preplan to contents of your employee handbook before diving in. What actually is a handbook for employees? Employers give this to employees to clarify their rights and responsibilities while theyre employed with the company. Its basically your companys Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Watch: Everything you need to know about icons (in less than 3 minutes). The employee handbook will help employees understand how their workplace functions, what is expected of them as well as job expectations. For example, you should also consider the following additions:: Make losing documents a thing of the past. Adobe Express saves your work, so you can always revisit your project if you need to update it in the future. If a dispute or conflict arises, you can refer to the handbook to confirm whether a team member has acted out of line and find an appropriate resolution or consequence. An employee handbook, also known as an employee manual, is an essential document that every business needs to have. Columns are a great way to keep readers engaged in your writing. Hire faster with 1,000+ templates like job descriptions, interview questions and more. Include rules for meals and breaks, PTO, minimum wage, overtime, and fair workweek, for instance. This template includes a skeleton of common employee handbook topics for large enterprise businesses in the U.S. that need to cover major policies and procedures and communicate across distributed teams operating in multiple locations. This will include guidance on workplace ethics and expected behaviour. What are some strategies to manage employees who work virtually? Its about ethics and trust and building a safe and professional space for everyone. New and small businesses in particular often neglect to produce an employee handbook. The employee handbook outlines the companys code of conduct, so that employees know which behaviors are acceptable and which ones are not. At all levels and stages within your company, employee handbooks can be beneficial. Your restaurant employee handbook is the perfect place to outline how you expect everything to be done in your restaurant, from dishwashing to handling a health emergency. Valve's handbook is a go to example shown by it going viral in 2012. An employee handbook can even save time during employee induction periods, where a lot of information must be discussed. An employee handbook not only serves your new staff, but your old staff as well. Facebooks employee handbook(now Meta) was so well-designed that it could resemble a fancy coffee table book. The employment policies of the salon employment handbook are designed to protect new applicants from undue prejudice. You should include your disciplinary procedure as part of the employee handbook. Still need inspiration? Therefore, your employee handbook should address the unique elements of your business, including company values and objectives. Always seek expert advice when in doubt. Similar to Hubspot Netflix's employee handbook uses slide shares to create an easy-to-digest format. However, many federal and state laws require employers to inform employees of their rights in the workplace. Focus on the language and tone you're using - make sure to focus on the positives, address employees as "you" and "we", and include a dose of humor if possible. Employee onboarding is a crucial stage in all employees career cycle. A table of contents is also a great way for your employees to quickly skip to a section. Next you need to pick a design style for your employee handbook. How can I incorporate fair chance hiring into my DEI strategy? The family medical leave act and workers compensation policy is expected to be included. thought can save a great deal of trouble and regret. The very best employee handbooks serve as the living, breathing embodiment of a company's internal culture.