Importance of an Employment Manual

  

 
Jobs Employment, Career Job, Employment Job

 by: Mark Dacanay

Employee manual preparation is essential to every business. Without clear rules and policies, employers and employees could end up taking advantage of each other.

Rules and policies should be set as to curb misunderstandings in the future. So even before a company starts hiring employees, the employers should consider some employment manual preparation.

Here are some of the most basic reasons why a company should prepare an employment manual:

• Legal reasons – The first thing a judge asks about employment cases is “What is your written policy regarding this issue?”. The company’s employment manual should contain its anti-discrimination (racial, color, national origin, age, disability) and sexual harassment policies. It should also cover policies regarding financial policies and other legal areas.

• Time management reasons – Instead of telling every person the same information over and over again, you can have the information in written form and just have it shared.

• Simplify things – Instead of having to answer each employee inquiry about the policies, the employee can just check the employment manual for the answers.

• Avoid surprises and misunderstandings – With clear employment policies in place, it will ensure that the company and the employee are on the same page. There will no longer be as much questions about probation period, disciplinary actions and grievance processes.

Here is a list of some of the most basic information to be considered during employment manual preparation:

• Recruitment and Selection Process – It should show the recruitment process and if the company performs reference checks on all hired employees.

• Orientation of new employee – Refers to the process in which your company informs the new employees about the rules and policies around their employment

• Position and Job Description – Refers to the official title given the position and the official duties attached to it.

• Probationary period –Refers to the length of the probationary period and how employees will be evaluated to gain permanent status.

• Hours of work – The number of hours and the schedule of work. It also covers policies about tardiness, punctuality and overtime.

• Confidentiality – Agreement of the employer and employee that all resources and information pertinent to the business of the company should be kept confidential.

• Grooming – Policies on appearance and dress standards.

• Employee evaluation – The process of evaluating the performance of an employee.

• Training – Policies on developing employees through continuous learning and training.

• Code of conduct – Refers to the ethics and standard of conduct being upheld by the company.

• Discipline and termination policy – Refers to the disciplinary actions given to employees who violated certain rules or policies. It should also indicate the possible grounds and the process for termination.

• Grievance Process – Refers to the process on how employees who have complaints about the policies or their co-employees can take action within the company.

Those are just some information that can help your company in doing employment manual preparation. An employment lawyer with experience in human resources can help you as well with drafting policies that are in no way violating any laws.