Several issues can arise when you are operating a business with employees. Whether you have a few or several people working under your direction, it’s important to have clear policies and practices that are reflected in your employee handbook. If it has been a while since you reviewed this crucial group of documents, it may be time to revise some of its provisions. Is it time to update your employee handbook?
What Should be Included in Your Employee Handbook?
Employee handbooks can be an important resource for employers and employees. For employers, using an employee handbook can be an effective way to communicate business standards and policies. For employees, it can be beneficial to have a concrete set of requirements and rules that they can reference during the employment relationship.
Employee handbooks will vary according to the needs and unique qualities of a business. That being said, employers should include some core topics in their employee handbooks, such as the organization’s mission statement, the intent of the handbook, leave procedures and policies, and any applicable disciplinary rules.
Employer handbooks will also need to include provisions that address federal and state legal requirements, such as anti-discrimination statutes, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Fair Labor Standard Act (FSLA), and others. Therefore, it will be important to ensure that you are using accurate language to address these laws. The best way to help make sure you are using legally compliant provisions in your employee handbook is by consulting with an experienced business law attorney.
Drafting Your Employee Handbook
When you create your employee handbook, you will want to consider how it will be drafted. The idea is to create a handbook that employees can easily understand and use to locate information. Therefore, you will want to use unambiguous language that is clearly organized in a user-friendly format.
One way to help ensure that your handbook is understandable is by including short summaries for each topical section. Employees should be able to get the gist of what the area is covering by looking at the title and a simple explanation that appears at the top of the page.
Some employers make the mistake of creating a handbook that amounts to little more than policy and rules being tacked on as situations arise. It’s generally not advisable to develop your employee handbook in reaction to events. Instead, your guide should be drafted categorically to provide room for you to make updates to existing content as needed.
Is it Time to Update Your Employee Handbook?
Once you have an existing employee handbook, you will want to review its contents and may want to make updates. In some circumstances, these changes may be needed because of incidents that have taken place. You may also need to amend your handbook because your workforce has grown.
One of the most important reasons to review and make updates to your employee handbook is because of changes to state or federal law. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) routinely issue guidance and regulations that can impact how employees should be governed.
The best way to ensure that your employee handbook is up-to-date and in compliance with state and federal law and regulations is by having it reviewed by an experienced business attorney. Your business counsel can evaluate your existing policies and help you identify any potential issues with your handbook.
Contact a Florida Business Attorney Today
Attorney Richard Sierra at the Florida Small Business Center assists clients like you with commercial leasing, business, and litigation matters. As always, Our Goal Is to Help You Succeed™. For an appointment, you may call us at 1-866-842-5202 or use the contact form on our website. We represent clients throughout the State of Florida, including Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Pompano Beach, Sunrise, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Deerfield Beach, Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Orlando, Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota, Tampa, and surrounding communities.