An employee handbook is an essential tool for every business regardless of the number of employees! The purpose of an employee handbook is to clearly outline the expectations of employees and the organization’s policies and procedures. It provides the framework for the decision making process for managers and is the foundation for employers to ensure fair and equitable treatment.
Policies within the handbook should always reflect at a minimum the legislative requirements that employers must adhere to. It can also be argued strongly that an employee handbook is most important on day 1 of an employee’s tenure with an organization: as an employee handbook should be used to familiarize the employee with the workplace culture and values of their new workplace, as well as providing them with all of the policies, procedures, practices and employer expectations that a new employee will need to know to be fully set up for success.
Given the importance of this document, we would highly recommend that if you don’t have the knowledge and expertise on legal compliance requirements, that you don’t try to draft the handbook yourself. There are potential legal risks if you don’t do it the right way so if you want to minimize employee complaints, fines or the Ministry of Labour from visiting, then don’t hesitate to call the experts! Our team of HR Professionals have the knowledge and expertise and will take the time to ensure that your policies and procedures don’t just comply with the minimum legislative requirements, but will ensure that you are incorporating best practices to attract and retain top employees.
Please call HRPAR today to discuss creating an employee handbook that is right for your organization!