PrintMaintaining good written policies helps you in the event that an unhappy employee sues you or makes a complaint to a governmental entity (such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).
An employee handbook can be the central place where company policies and employee benefits and rights are laid out. Consider including the following company policies in your employee handbook:
- Normal working hours and overtime pay
- Your vacation policy
- Your sick days policy
- Your policy regarding the use of illegal drugs or alcohol
- Your sexual harassment policy
- Your disciplinary policy
- Your at-will employment policy (the company reserves its rights to terminate employees for any reason or no reason)
- Your nondiscrimination policy
- Your e-mail policy
- Your employee safety policy
Have each employee sign an acknowledgment and agreement form on his or her first day of work. This form states that the employee has read and understands your employee handbook. Make sure to keep a signed copy of this acknowledgement in the employee's personnel file.
Click here to view a sample Employee Handbook and At-Will Employee Status Acknowledgement form, or here to view a sample Checklist for Employee Handbooks.
