Employee Handbooks

Employee Handbook

Home Services Employee Handbooks

The Importance Of Employee Handbooks – What You Need To Know

employee handbook

As an employer, you should be aware of certain things, and employee
handbooks
are one of these things. Whilst all companies have to give contracts of employment to their employees stating things such as their employment conditions, rights, responsibilities, and duties, they should all consider using employee handbooks too. 

Although not explicitly required by law, an employee handbook is something that both big and small businesses can benefit from.

 

What is an employee handbook?

You may sometimes hear this employee handbook referred to as an employee manual, staff handbook, or company policy manual but, they are all essentially the same thing. Put simply, the handbook is a book given to all employees, it highlights all relevant employment and job-related information that employees need to know.

Normally, these handbooks all follow a simple structure and contain the same three
categories. You can expect to find the following in all good employee handbooks;

  • Information about the company – usually, these handbooks will contain general need-to-know information about the company, a mission statement, and also all company values.
  • General helpful information – you can expect to find company policies and
    procedures, details all employees need to know about the workplace, and also things such as holiday arrangements and company perks.
  • Specific company information – there should also be information regarding a company rules, disciplinary and grievance procedures, and other information about employment laws or regulations.

Ideally, the handbook should be given as part of a company’s induction process
for new employees, the same way contracts of employment are.

 

Why are employee handbooks important?

A well-written employee handbook has several advantages for an employer. All in all, the
handbook helps a company run smoothly by clearly outlining expectations in the workplace. An employee handbook minimises workplace disputes by explaining workplace ethics and required behaviour. It also allows your company to be open and clear about its stand on

issues like favouritism, discrimination, and harassment, as well as provide information on
how to report any violations.

Having all of your policies and procedures clearly laid out and also easily accessible will be
incredibly beneficial to managers too. It is a good reference manual to have and can help
ensure that your team complies with all employment laws. 

Handbooks become a useful go-to tool for everyday queries and serious situations alike. Of course, it also saves your management team time during induction periods, it prevents them from having to explain the same information over and over again.

Probably one of the most beneficial reasons for having a well-written employee handbook is for situations where you may need to prove yourself. Take an employee lawsuit, for
example, if you ever find yourself in an employment tribunal then being able to produce an employee handbook can be a beneficial legal defence. 

Of course, the handbook to assist you in these situations, you must ensure that it is up to date, understood by all members of staff, and always abided by.

Creating employee handbooks 

If you already have a handbook then you should review this regularly, and if you’re in doubt
regarding its contents, seek advice from HR consultants, The same goes for if you are looking to implement a handbook for the first time, if you’re unsure of the required content or the best wording to use throughout this book then get in touch with ourselves is a good place to start.

Similarly, if you find that you’re in a situation where your current employee handbook is
under scrutiny during an employee lawsuit, or you fear that it could be, then don’t hesitate to seek legal assistance. Of course, this works both ways, if you think that your handbook can help your current legal situation then again seek the relevant advice as soon
as the issue arises.

Contact HR Consultants

Please fill out your details below and a member of our team will get in touch with you.

Don't just take our word for it

Enda Young
Enda Young
2023-05-30
We've been working with BeyondHR in Mediation Northern Ireland for the past six months. I highly recommend their services in regards to HR issues around staff Handbooks, policies and procedures, health and safety and general HR guidance.
Armagh Rhymers
Armagh Rhymers
2023-02-15
Beyond HR has been a brilliant support to ABC Community Network, very professional and efficient! The staff has been fantastic, especially Lauren and Deirdre. Cormac made the process of signing up very easy and cost effective. Thank you for all the support and guidance. Emma
Trevor Finlay
Trevor Finlay
2022-10-13
The clue is in their name. They really do go beyond the call of duty. We have had an excellent service from the team over several years. Highly recommended for supporting on all staff related issues.
Iain Mcbride
Iain Mcbride
2020-08-21
MAC Recruit Group were referred to Natalie and Beyond HR, to help with our initial set up and growth of the business. We received a fanstastic level or service where no questions was too small and all queries were answered in a very timely manner. I have no hesitation to referring Natalie to other business owners and we will continue to use the service for many years to come.
Tracy McGrath
Tracy McGrath
2020-08-21
As a start up business, we required help and support to ensure both our business and staff were protected when it came to policies and procedures. We decided to speak with Natalie to find out what we required as a business. From initial telephone conversation, to face to face meeting – Natalie has been amazing. Value for money is brilliant and always knowing Natalie is at the end of the phone for any urgent questions is great for peace of mind. This allows us to free up the time to concentrate on our business. Since engaging Natalie over a year ago, we have recommended Natalie to a number of Clients, friends and family – all have businesses that employ various numbers of staff. She is an asset to any business small or large and her knowledge is second to none.
Anne Muir
Anne Muir
2020-08-03
Fabrication Specialists Limited required a company who could keep us up to date with employment law and compliant with the requirements of employee contracts etc. We are delighted with the help and professionalism of Beyond HR, in particular Natalie who is always on the end of the phone when we need her. In these uncertain times dealing with Covid19 issues, BeyondHR have guided us through the requirements of furlough step by step making the whole process much easier to deal with. I would not hesitate to recommend BeyondHR to any company seeking this type of service.
Joanne Peters
Joanne Peters
2020-07-31
Natalie has been so helpful in helping me to set up my new business. She has been informative, efficiant and has helped connect me with other useful contacts. Thank you so much. 5* service