In most roles I’ve begun, an worker handbook was the primary inner doc I learn. So naturally, I’d make a whole lot of assumptions concerning the form of place I used to be employed at primarily based on the worker handbook.
From trip insurance policies to decorate codes to nondiscrimination insurance policies, worker handbooks have given me a transparent overview of the dos, don’ts, laws, and expectations of my new position.
They’ve additionally helped pique my pleasure, particularly when the corporate mission, values, and tradition are laid out.
Under, I’ll cowl the significance of an worker handbook, 9 important parts to incorporate, an worker handbook template, and examples to assist information yours.
Desk of Contents
What’s an worker handbook?
An worker handbook is an exhaustive doc outlining a company’s insurance policies, procedures, and worker expectations.
It’s a vital useful resource for brand new hires and present employees. Staff can overview their rights and duties as members of the corporate.
Why is having an worker handbook essential?
Worker handbooks are important for a number of causes, for each the employer and staff. Right here’s why.
1. Inform new hires.
Once I was employed at Paramount, I underwent a two-day orientation and onboarding.
Throughout this era, I acquired an worker handbook that outlined employees expectations. That doc included methods to advertise privateness, concord, security, and group.
The handbook was a useful useful resource for higher understanding Paramount’s tradition and the way I could possibly be an upstanding member of such a big, international group.
It was additionally a reduction to know this was a information I might constantly consult with each time questions or issues arose.
2. Doc mandated insurance policies.
Paramount requires us to finish a number of common worker trainings, together with anti-sexual harassment, anti-discrimination, enterprise conduct, and extra. These trainings coincide with federal, state, and native legal guidelines that firms should uphold.
Worker handbooks are an awesome place for firms to stipulate these insurance policies to make sure all employees are given the data they want and that employers adjust to legal guidelines and laws.
3. Declare firm objectives.
Most profitable firms have cohesive imaginative and prescient propositions, mission statements, and values that present context for the corporate’s objective. These statements additionally information staff towards a shared purpose.
Trendy worker handbooks embrace this info to ensure all employees are instantly made conscious of why they had been employed and the way they’ll play a task within the better imaginative and prescient.
Studying this info in my worker handbooks additionally helped me develop enthusiasm and fervour for my upcoming work.
What to Embody in an Worker Handbook
Realizing the place to start is troublesome when crafting an worker handbook. Try the sections I’ve discovered most helpful.
1. Introduction to Firm and Values
As talked about, I’ve discovered a whole lot of worth in higher understanding the corporate from an inner lens in an worker handbook.
Whereas Paramount has a whole lot of externally-facing info, staff will get an inside scoop on what makes it so particular.
This can be a nice option to start the worker handbook, providing new staff an elevator pitch about why the corporate issues and why they need to be excited to hitch it.
2. Code of Conduct
Right here, I realized concerning the moral requirements {and professional} conduct anticipated on the firm. It’s useful to have a baseline of what the corporate expects of me ethically so I can stay an upstanding member of the group.
I’ve additionally realized a whole lot of primary employee-wide tips, resembling hybrid workplace necessities and the gown code.
General, the code of conduct shares the corporate’s values and desired conduct that it needs to foster in staff of all ranges.
3. New Rent and Separation Coverage
As a brand new rent at Paramount, I had countless questions on my new employment, significantly how and when to enroll for advantages. This part supplies details about that, in addition to extra critical subjects resembling disciplinary methods.
In tandem, it supplies info in case an worker needs to depart the corporate for no matter cause.
Staff who don’t really feel snug asking sure questions earlier than asserting their go away can consult with the worker handbook to know when their insurance coverage protection ends and if they are going to be paid out for unused time without work.
4. Efficiency and Profession Improvement Insurance policies
Ahead-thinkers like me are at all times planning for what’s subsequent. Once I begin a brand new position, I wish to really feel assured that I’ll be part of a group that prioritizes my studying and profession progress.
This part is a good place to put out how promotions and raises happen, and what alternatives the corporate supplies for workers to broaden their data
5. Compensation and Advantages Coverage
This part has been extraordinarily important to me as a brand new rent and long-standing worker.
It’s an awesome place to refer again to each time I wish to remind myself about my insurance coverage protection or join a brand new program like tuition reimbursement.
It’s additionally the place I am going to know my compensation. New hires will probably have questions on how they’re paid (weekly or bi-weekly) and the way their payroll deductions look. It’s essential info to have available.
6. Go away Coverage
I’m grateful to work on a group and at an organization that encourages me to take time without work for trip, sick time, and private days. I realized a whole lot of this info within the worker handbook.
Since I’m not a salaried worker, the handbook defined what number of PTO and sick days I acquired per calendar yr, in addition to what federal holidays the corporate observes.
It’s useful to have the ability to refer again to this steerage when planning holidays and future time without work.
7. Equal Employment and Nondiscrimination Coverage
As a younger lady of coloration, working at an organization that acknowledges the significance of range and inclusion is an absolute precedence.
I satisfaction myself on working for a group with all types of people that have numerous views, which makes our work stronger.
I consider all firms ought to spotlight these insurance policies of their worker handbooks so new hires know from the get-go that the corporate is critical about who it needs to contribute to the tradition.
8. Computer systems and Expertise Coverage
Many firms like mine have embraced a hybrid work setting, that means we go into the workplace a number of days every week and work remotely the opposite days.
For that reason, staff at my firm obtain company-owned units, resembling laptops and telephones.
This could result in many safety and privateness points, so I like to recommend together with a piece within the worker handbook that communicates laws round utilizing company-owned units and packages.
9. Well being and Security Insurance policies.
My firm conducts bi-annual hearth and security process walkthroughs with safety. Nonetheless, as a brand new rent, I used to be wanting to know these protocols from the beginning, since I had simply missed the final spherical of walkthroughs.
The worker handbook is an efficient place to element safety procedures, resembling requiring badges for entry and protocols within the case of emergency occasions, resembling a fireplace.
This additionally helps scale back firm legal responsibility by guaranteeing this essential life-preserving info is offered to all new hires.
10. Non-Disclosure Settlement and Confidentiality Coverage
One of many perks of being at my firm is being aware about knowledge, info, and plans that aren’t for the general public eye. However with this chance comes a giant duty to protect the confidentiality of this information.
Subsequently, it’s important to make clear within the worker handbook what is taken into account confidential info for inner operations and shoppers and the way to preserve privateness to make sure it’s not misused or shared externally.
11. Signature Web page
Crucial a part of the worker handbook is when staff truly conform to all of the insurance policies, procedures, and methods laid out.
This ensures staff learn and conform to the phrases of the handbook and that the corporate is protected within the case of a wrongful termination lawsuit.
Now that I’ve conveyed the areas I’ve discovered helpful in my worker handbooks, let me share a template that dives extra deeply into what to incorporate in every part.
Worker Handbook Template
Worker Handbook for [Company Name]
Introduction to Firm and Values
- Describe the corporate’s historical past, together with when, by whom, and why it was based.
- Lay out the corporate mission assertion.
- Embody perception into the corporate tradition and what parts are prioritized within the office, resembling autonomy or steady training.
Code of Conduct
- Provide a common overview of ethics and compliance, which permit the corporate to pretty regulate and assess a person’s conduct.
- Element essential insurance policies, together with tardiness, gown code, and disciplinary actions.
- Present sources for workers to reference when encountering moral predicaments.
New Rent and Separation Coverage
- Let new staff know whether or not they should wait to obtain their advantages (and the way lengthy) and what steps to take if an worker needs to stop.
- Define the progressive self-discipline coverage, which is a structured strategy to addressing worker misconduct or efficiency points utilizing more and more strict steps that permit staff to right errors.
- Summarize what advantages staff are entitled to and for a way lengthy, if terminated.
Efficiency and Profession Improvement Insurance policies
- Lay out the worker analysis course of and at what cadence these critiques needs to be arrange with managers.
- Clarify when and the way promotions occur, in addition to coaching and studying alternatives.
Compensation and Advantages Coverage
- Element crucial advantages relating to well being care, dental, imaginative and prescient, life insurance coverage, and shares.
- Share details about different worker advantages, resembling tuition reimbursement, commuter advantages, parking, worker referral bonuses, and 401(ok) plans.
- Present steerage relating to compensation, resembling complete wage, payroll deductions, and compensation will increase for particular job descriptions.
- Doc the cost schedule for every worker (weekly or bi-weekly).
Go away Coverage
- Share how a lot paid and unpaid trip time staff obtain.
- Make clear insurance policies round sick time, medical go away, and paid household go away and guarantee these adjust to U.S. Division of Labor legal guidelines, if relevant.
- Checklist firm holidays.
Equal Employment and Nondiscrimination Coverage
- Embody an employment and nondiscrimination coverage, per The U.S. Division of Labor Equal Employment Alternative regulation.
- Reiterate to staff that discrimination or harassment will not be tolerated within the office.
Computer systems and Expertise Coverage
- Relay what staff can and might’t do with their offered know-how.
- Inform whether or not the corporate has the suitable to view emails despatched on firm computer systems, if social media needs to be averted on these units, and the way a lot privateness they need to count on whereas utilizing firm property.
- Share if any actions carried out on firm know-how are fireable offenses.
Well being and Security Insurance policies
- Define office security tips, resembling badge utilization, visitor insurance policies, and prohibited gadgets.
- Relay important emergency procedures within the occasion of a fireplace or safety lockdown.
- Let staff know their rights as administered by The Occupational Security and Well being Administration (OSHA).
Non-Disclosure Settlement and Confidentiality Coverage
- Checklist what info staff should maintain non-public, resembling the corporate‘s inner marketing strategy, consumer info, and staff’ monetary account info.
- Share methods staff can guarantee privateness and confidentiality, resembling avoiding public wifi, by no means leaving firm units unattended, and requesting NDAs from companions earlier than sharing paperwork.
Signature Web page
- Embody a signature web page on the finish of the worker handbook that states the worker has learn and agreed to the data detailed within the worker handbook.
Should you’d like an much more seamless, plug-and-play template, take a look at HubSpot’s free worker handbook template that provides a basis to combine your model’s personalised messaging and knowledge.
Pattern Worker Handbook
I like to recommend you create an worker handbook that’s distinctive and explicit to your tradition and firm values.
Nonetheless, I’ve developed a pattern worker handbook to assist get you began. I open with an organization overview and details about the enterprise’ values.
Many sections are too private and legally delicate to incorporate in a pattern.
As an illustration, assessment state and federal legal guidelines and call a lawyer when writing a non-disclosure settlement. After the intro, I like to recommend including details about your tradition code. Then, you possibly can speak about particular insurance policies.
After this part, I like to recommend itemizing out any related worker advantages. That features their compensation, advantages, and paid time without work.
The final portion of my pattern handbook options bracketed sections that relate to authorities laws. If this had been my enterprise, I would come with that info then ask for an worker signature.
Worker Handbook Examples
I’ve established that a number of sections in an worker handbook are pretty commonplace — to not point out legally required. Moreover, many insurance policies are for inner eyes solely, making them inaccessible to curious weblog writers.
Subsequently, I’ve gathered a listing of inventive, distinctive tradition pages, books, and codes.
These are terrific methods to start an worker handbook. They transcend a standard firm historical past and overview to embrace daring design, humor, and imaginative language and precisely painting the corporate’s tradition to new hires.
After all, these examples aren’t standalone worker handbooks, however take a web page out of those manufacturers’ books to jazz up an in any other case mundane, standardized doc.
1. Warby Parker
Warby Parker is a trendy, reasonably priced eyewear model from whom I’ve bought one too many pairs of eyeglasses. Its tradition e-book is designed as a digital information, representing its fashionable, modern model qualities nicely.
I particularly love the aesthetically pleasing coloration scheme, comfortable fonts, imagery, and humorousness.
Whereas I’m occupied with an organization’s origin, I don’t essentially wish to learn a prolonged historical past e-book about it.
Warby Parker does an exceptional job of preserving its historical past quick and simply digestible by designing the origin story as a textual content dialog and the historical past as a visible timeline.
Lastly, I like the emphasis on the corporate values, framed as “Our Promise.” This reveals that these statements aren’t simply issues the model values and hopes to perform however vows to.
If I had been an worker at this firm, I’d really feel assured that it is a place that encourages creativity, doesn’t take itself too critically, and prioritizes the well-being of its workforce.
2. Netflix
Netflix’s tradition web page is a good instance of how a model can personalize its worker handbook for potential, new, and long-time hires.
Whereas an worker handbook has a whole lot of essential, obligatory info, it will possibly additionally excite staff.
Not like Warby Parker, this web page has a crisp and clear black-and-white design. Nonetheless, I feel this works nicely with the language used. It’s a honest and sincere ode to the tradition they’ve and aspire to have.
I like the above introduction, because it authentically reveals what Netflix prioritizes in its workforce whereas admitting that it typically falls wanting these objectives and is a piece in progress.
As a brand new rent, becoming a member of an organization that prides itself on perfection is intimidating, so it’s a reduction to know you might be part of the continual progress.
Under is a snapshot of how Netflix outlines its guidelines, with out getting too into the weeds (that’s for inner, employed staff).
I respect this part as a result of it calls out that there are strict guidelines for important insurance policies, resembling harassment and privateness.
However then, the model personalizes by stating a few of their much less critical insurance policies, resembling “Take trip” being their trip coverage, and “Act in Netflix’s greatest pursuits” being the bills coverage.
Language like this provides essential info whereas providing context concerning the firm tradition. There’s a option to be critical about critical issues and playful concerning the enjoyable elements of an worker handbook.
3. HubSpot
To not toot our personal horn, however the HubSpot Tradition Code is fairly nice.
Certainly one of my many favourite elements is that it’s in a slide presentation format. This makes it really feel much less daunting and extra accessible to flip by means of occasionally, reasonably than digging by means of a prolonged doc.
I respect that HubSpot acknowledges the Tradition Code as extra than simply an worker handbook — it’s a lifestyle. It goes past the mandatory by explaining the hows and whys new hires care about.
In spite of everything, job descriptions describe lots a couple of position however much less about the way it feels to be part of the group.
Because the Tradition Code is 128 slides, there’s a fast abstract of the tenets on slide 17. Not solely does this perform as a kind of desk of contents, nevertheless it additionally works as a set of firm values that shall be influential.
The HubSpot Tradition Code seamlessly combines essential insurance policies and knowledge for brand new hires with motivational, modern messages. It conveys key authorized and cultural factors in the identical presentation.
As an illustration, within the slide proven above, new hires obtain express details about profession growth alternatives obtainable on the firm.
This aligns with the Efficiency and profession growth insurance policies talked about above whereas being reassured that HubSpot prioritizes profession progress simply as a lot as its merchandise.
I’m additionally a giant fan of quick, clear mottos which are simple to recall and apply to a number of difficult conditions. Issues can get advanced in a brand new job, so connecting an issue to the fundamentals will help new hires put their work into perspective.
You’ll be able to see this idea exemplified within the following slide.
Now that I’ve walked by means of some highly effective worker handbook samples, learn on for code of conduct samples.
Code of Conduct Samples
The code of conduct, which follows the corporate overview part of an worker handbook, is basically essential and equally as troublesome to craft from scratch.
That’s why I’ve included some actual examples of profitable and provoking codes of conduct:
Extra Than a Handbook
I’ve by no means thought of how important an worker handbook might be. I’ve referred to lots of mine earlier than for understanding my rights and duties.
Nonetheless, engaged on this put up taught me that an worker handbook additionally provides the chance to model one of many first paperwork new hires contact.
It’s a chance to share an organization’s persona and what makes it an incredible place to work. Your new rent had the prospect to impress you — now it’s your alternative to impress them.
Editor’s observe: This put up was initially printed in December 2018 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
