Employee Handbook 101

One of the major activity that an HR Professional has to spearhead in a company is the completion and issuance of the Employee Handbook. Most of the time, this happens when the company is just starting. The question now is, what should be included in the Employee Handbook?

In coming up with the Employee Handbook, an HR Professional has to keep in mind that the handbook should contain the basic things that would influence the company's operations. This can be done by preparing an outline of what these "basic things" are, some of which could be:

• Company Details (Name, Founding Date, Milestones, History/ Timeline, Mission/ Vision, Culture and Philosophy)
• Founders and their profile. You can also choose to include the board of directors
• Names of the Division Heads and/ or Company Managers as well as a short profile
• Description of the company's main products and services
• Basic Office Procedures (Payroll Procedures, Separation/Resignation Procedures, New Hire Procedures, Work Flow, Leave Application Procedure)
• Internal Policies (Dress Code, Attendance and Tardiness Policy, Phone Usage, Policy on Breaks)
• Code of Conduct

This outline would guide an HR person in creating the contents. Once the Employee Handbook has been approved, the following tips should be in mind:

• Prepare an Acknowledgement Receipt of the Employee Handbook before issuing it to employees
• Have each department keep an extra copy of the Employee Handbook
• Regularly review the Employee Handbook. Update if needed.
• Every time that major changes are made in the Employee Handbook, discuss it with the employees to ensure that they understand what the change is all about as well as why there is a need for such change

Preparing an Employee Handbook is one tough job. However, its presence would be a big help not just to an HR Department but to the whole company as well.
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