“When my business started growing several years ago, I adapted the Employee Handbook from my old company and have been using it ever since. It seems to work fine because I add information as I create new policies and mine appears to have a lot more information than the ones I see online for $99. What’s wrong with using this Employee Handbook?”
My HR Survival Tip
Now you might think this is an unusual question, but it’s not. Many business owners have a tendency to “adopt” the Employee Handbook and forms from one or more previous employers… or from other company owners. However, the whole point of having an Employee Handbook is that it fits your company, your culture, and your needs.
Years ago I was approached by a very large association that actually sells Employee Handbook software. They had realized that their members now had the tool but didn’t have the knowledge to implement a handbook properly and the association was looking for ways to change that.
One of the primary reasons to have a well-written Employee Handbook is that it can help keep you out of trouble. If it’s poorly written, it can work against you instead. You don’t have, nor are you expected to have, the background and knowledge to write policies so they are clear and provide legal protection.
Do you even know which employment laws affect you? What I’ve found in many of these cobbled-together Employee Handbooks is an FMLA (Family/Medical Leave Act) policy even though the company isn’t large enough to be subject to this law. Did you know that having it in your Employee Handbook makes you legally subject to it?
If your point of even having an Employee Handbook is to protect your company and ensure your employees understand your rules and policies, seriously consider investing in a Handbook that will actually accomplish that. Your investment will last years with only minor updates from year to year. So, will you invest now or pay BIG later?
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