Liane Davis Business Consulting

Employee Manuals - Day 4
What is an "acknowledgement clause"?

You can’t enforce rules an employee didn’t read, so every handbook needs to include a clause, signed by the employee, stating they have received, read, and understood the handbook.

This document should come at the end of the handbook and be included in the employee’s personnel file in case there’s a disciplinary issue later. Having the signed acknowledgement of receipt prevents an employee from claiming to be unaware. It should include the employee's name and date, and state clearly that they have read the entire employee manual and understand it. It should also state that if they had any questions about the manual or it's contents, they have had those questions answered fully.

I usually recommend that you have employees sign a new one every year, or when there are major changes to the employee manual.

Employee manuals - Day 3
What is one of the biggest pitfalls if I don't have a manual?

If you don't have a manual, you do not have the protections in place that your business needs. Let's say that Joe works for you. Joe shows up late 3 days in a row. You need workers that are dependable, so you fire him. Joe files for unemployment, saying that you discriminated against him because he's over 40, and that the younger workers show up late and/or spend more time on their phones than he missed by showing up late. He also says you verbally told him that 5 days late equaled a firing offense. Without a clear policy on when people will be disciplined and/or fired, it's much more difficult for you to disprove an argument that you acted in an inappropriate way, or acted inconsistently with your policies. Protect yourself and your business! If you need help on your manual, contact us today!

Employee Manuals - Day 2 - Staying on the Right Path
What are the 5 things you absolutely should include in an employee manual?

1) Late and no-show policies
2) Benefits - what is provided and any contingencies that must be met first
3) Discipline and Termination - what are actions that merit immediate termination; what are your disciplinary steps?
4) Non-discrimination policies
5) Contact information - who do they contact for what types of issues?

And a bonus - Have a signature page for employees to sign that they have read the manual. When you have significant updates, have them sign the update. It's a good idea to have them sign off yearly that they have read the manual.

This week's topic: Employee manuals. Today we will answer the question, what is an employee manual and why should all businesses have one?

An employee handbook, also sometimes called an employee manual or a policies and procedures manual, is a document that tells your staff members what to expect when they work for you.

Although it often deals with practical details like vacation time, benefits, disciplinary procedures and so on, it can also be a great place to introduce your employees to the company in other ways. You can explain your company’s values and the kind of workplace you have in it. You can let employees know who they can contact if they have questions or problems. There’s a lot more you can cover, too—we’ll go into more detail about the contents later this week.

Why should you have one? Every employee should be aware of your policies, procedures, rules, and who they can contact when they have questions or concerns. Everything may go perfectly right now but what happens when an issue arises? It's ok to hope for the best, but when it comes to running your own business, it's always better to plan for the worst. There are many tutorials and books out there on writing your own manual, but if you need help, we are here for you!

We know it's hard to be a small business owner. However, there is help out there! Whether it's writing your first employee manual or rewriting one you've had for awhile, talking through a disciplinary issue, coaching you or your managers on human resource questions, or one-time or ongoing coaching on topics such as conflict resolution or preparing personnel evaluations, we can help! Contact us today for a free consultation. It doesn't have to be so hard!