Employee Handbook - The Three Must Have's

It is time to update your employee handbook and it is a good business practice to review it annually.  Here are three (3) items you should have in your employee handbook:

  1. Employment Laws Should Follow the Employer’s Size

Employment laws require an organization to be compliant based upon the number of current employees who are on the payroll.  Employment laws change when the employment numbers change.  (Please see guidance link below.):

For example, below are the grids of compliance for employment laws.  The more employees you have, the more employment laws you will need to comply with.

1-14 – Small Employer
15-49 – Medium Employer
50+ – Large Employer
100+ – Large Employer with more compliance requirements
Federal Contractors – more compliance with 50+ employees

So, once you know which category you are in, you will need to include the correct and current employment laws within your employee handbook applicable to the number of employees on your payroll.

2.  Policies Should Follow the Employer’s Culture

The organization should include rules and guidelines that are important to its culture. 

    1. For example, do you believe in a code of ethics policy? 
    2. Do you value your assets (company vehicles, laptops, cell phones) that you provide to your employees?  If you do, what are the guidelines for caring for those assets? 
    3. What is your current vacation/sick leave policy? 
    4. Do you require uniforms? 
    5. What is the dress code? 

Please see attached grid of policy titles that are important to our clients.  Bottom line:  This grid assists in establishing the culture we want to help you create within your organization. (Please see Employee Handbook Questionnaire link below, page 2.)

3. Employees Must Sign the Employee Handbook Acknowledgment Form

And, finally, the MOST IMPORTANT part of the employee handbook:  You must have ALL your employees sign off on the employee acknowledgement form attached at the end of your employee handbook.  This signed copy must reside in the employee’s personnel file. Bottom line: This is documentation that may be given to a third party (i.e., Department of Labor, Kansas Human Rights Commission, EEOC or attorneys), if you receive a claim from a current or former employee (unemployment, discrimination, pay issues, etc.).  This document assists the organization with emphasizing that it has educated and administered the employment laws and company guidelines correctly and consistently. (Please see Employee Acknowledgement Form link below.)

One last comment.  Less is best.  HR Partners and Dietrick Law are not fans of voluminous handbooks.  Keep it simple and keep it compliant.

Questions?  Concerns?  Please call us at 785-233-7860.

KS & Federal Labor Laws By Number of Employees

Employee Handbook Questionnaire

Employee Acknowledgement Form

 

The HR Partners Holiday Video - 2024

We appreciate your business, and we wish you nothing but the best for Christmas and the New Year holidays.

2025 will be an epic year and we can’t wait to work with you to continue the magic.

To view the video, click the image below or click here, and once you see the video on Vimeo, please click the play button. Enjoy!

 2024HRPVideo

 

HR Advisor Newsletter

What our clients say...

Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation

Gina Stewart
Director, Information Management, Analysis and Reporting 
Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation

"HR Partners provides a screening process when searching for candidates for a position. The phone screens save me valuable time and give me the information needed to decide whether to invite someone to our office for an in-person interview.

They also serve as a knowledgeable resource for up to date standards with HR issues. Two of the most significant improvements would be making the hiring process a breeze and having a resource to provide valuable feedback on HR issues. HR Partners allows you to continue to work on your mission, whatever it might be, while spending less time on HR issues. You have the confidence when hiring someone that they will have the skills/knowledge to the job well."