• If your policies are not written down, chances are that your employees have very different ideas about their rights and responsibilities than you do.
• A written employee handbook gives everyone the same set of rules to follow.
• Inform every employee of important company benefits and policies, without distortion or mistakes.
• Communicate policies and procedures about issues such as harassment, discrimination, payroll practices, and Federally-guaranteed rights to which employees are entitled.
• Explain the reasoning for certain policies, which helps employees to understand the rationale behind policies which might cause dissension or unhappiness.
• Obtain important feedback on potential or actual problems from employees by establishing a structure for critical suggestions or complaints.
• Employees who have worked for larger companies with employee handbooks expect detailed information and are distressed over its absence.
• Provide information about benefits programs available to employees and what steps are necessary to obtain those benefits.
• Federal law requires that employees receive a Summary Plan Description for certain plans — a good item to include in your employee handbook.

• Allows employees to know exactly what they can expect from the company, and what the company expects from them.
• Sets standards for acceptable and non-acceptable conduct by employees, and provides clear guidance about penalties and consequences for poor behavior.
• Employees with unsatisfactory or undesirable performance can be discharged with less risk of legal problems when your employee handbook includes specific causes for dismissal and outlines a consistent disciplinary procedure. In the absence of written policies, supervisors will make their own policies ‘on the fly’. These tend to apply to only those employees under their direct supervision. Inconsistent treatment of employees can have ominous legal repercussions.
• Employees can learn company policies on their own or refer to policies at any time. Saves management time and effort.
• You can establish an introductory or probationary period with a forthright explanation of ‘at will’ employment.
• Management decisions are more predictable and less likely to be arbitrary, promoting a greater sense of security and stability among employees. Your work environment becomes more ordered and calm, reducing performance problems.
• Transfer much of the responsibility and burden of complying with government workplace regulations to employees when these duties are outlined in an employee handbook.
• Management becomes more effective at all levels. An employee handbook establishes guidelines which line supervisors follow with less risk of costly and embarrassing mistakes. Senior management does not need to be consulted on small matters.

Efficiency

You can avoid confusion about productivity errors in scheduling, lapses in performance and documentation, motivation through consistent standards and consistent disciplinary policies by incorporating the recommendations of Your Employee Handbook into your daily management.

• Allows employees to know exactly what they can expect from the company, and what the company expects from them.
• Sets standards for acceptable and non-acceptable conduct by employees, and provides clear guidance about penalties and consequences for poor behavior.
• Employees with unsatisfactory or undesirable performance can be discharged with less risk of legal problems when your employee handbook includes specific causes for dismissal and outlines a consistent disciplinary procedure. In the absence of written policies, supervisors will make their own policies ‘on the fly’. These tend to apply to only those employees under their direct supervision. Inconsistent treatment of employees can have ominous legal repercussions.
• Employees can learn company policies on their own or refer to policies at any time. Saves management time and effort.
• You can establish an introductory or probationary period with a forthright explanation of ‘at will’ employment.
• Transfer much of the responsibility and burden of complying with government workplace regulations to employees when these duties are outlined in an employee handbook.
• Management becomes more effective at all levels. An employee handbook establishes guidelines which line supervisors follow with less risk of costly and embarrassing mistakes. Senior management does not need to be consulted on small matters.

• Help prevent misunderstandings about expectations by defining the standards for all employees.
• Prevent litigation and regulatory action with policies that are clear and consistent.
• Prevents past and present activities — good and bad — that tend to become “unofficial” policy.
• Help employees avoid conflicts of interest that could be harmful to the company by identifying situations which could lead to problems.
• Informs employees of the limits of supervisory authority to help limit company liability in the event of a supervisor’s misconduct.
• Prevents new hires from getting incorrect information from current workers. Makes it easier to orient and initiate new employees with correct information from the beginning.
• Reduce the chance of hiring someone who may not be comfortable with your workplace by letting applicants read a copy of the employee handbook to learn about the workings of your company.
• Educate employees of their duty to safeguard confidential company information.
• Enhances your chances of success in possible litigation with customers or visitors by proving that you explained your rules to your workers.
• Avoid being held responsible for illegal acts of employees by specifically prohibiting certain acts and behavior.
• Employees cannot try to excuse conduct that is harmful to your company, other employees or customers by claiming that they did not know the company’s policies.
• Discourages unreasonable demands and requests for exceptions or special consideration from employees, since limits on entitlements are detailed in the employee handbook.