31+ Free Employee Handbook Templates [MS Word]

Table of Contents

1 Significance of Employee handbook:
2 Components of the employee handbook template:
- 2.1 Employment basics:
3 Things to consider:
4 Conclusion:

The employee handbook template is used by employers as guide to make the handbook. Employee handbook basically delivers details of a company’s policies and objectives to all staff members. Employers use it to maintain a professional environment in the company or organization. You can also say it as an outline of an employer’s expectations of their whole workforce.

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Moreover, employee handbook is also known as an employee field guide or staff manual. For informing a new hire of the company’s expectations, this handbook is a valuable communication resource.

Significance of Employee handbook:

In building a clear relationship between the employer and the employees, the employee handbook plays a significant role. With the help of this handbook, employers can provide detail information of;

Procedures
Guidelines
The benefits they offer to the employees

It also plays an important role in assuring the following;

This makes sure that new hires are introduced to the company’s culture, mission objectives, and values. This helps them to develop a sense of pride and belonging and leads to more productivity.
It clearly and briefly explains the employer’s expectations to employees. This way, they understand their responsibilities.
It allows the employers to educate the employees about what can be expected to them.

Components of the employee handbook template:

The employee handbook template should contain the following essential components;

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Employment basics:

Your employment handbook should contain basic employment details. This should indicate the employer’s realistic expectations of what the company expects from the employees. The employment basics should include the following;

Procedural guidelines:

The handbook should have a certain action plan that state how recruitment will be dealt with. This makes sure that all potential employees understand the employment process. They are expected to be subjected to and by whom. Furthermore, at any stage of the process, the employee handbook will include what documentation is needed of a potential employee. The procedural guidelines should also specify the employees on how to deal with problems that may occur and who will be responsible for handling them.

So, the employee handbook sub-divides the procedural guidelines as follow;

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Employment applications.
Recruitment and selection process.
New employee orientation.
Employment of relatives.
Procedure for handling complaints.
Employee training and development.

Legal formalities:

During making or signing contracts, legal formalities are the legal conditions that the employee should observe. Therefore, the employer should include all related legal formalities. This information is divided by the employee handbook as follow;

Non disclosure
Confidentiality agreement
Non-discrimination
Equal opportunity employment
Employment contract types
Immigration law compliance

General outlook:

This provides information on the employee’s job. About the employee’s engagement with the company, it gives the general policies and procedures. The general outlook is broken down in the following sections:

Employment relationship
Work hours
Performance review
Outside employment policy

Things to consider:

Before drafting the employee handbook, companies and employers must consider the following things;

Before creating the handbook, you should review the company policies to determine important company policies that should be included in the handbook.
Employers should make sure that each section includes enough summarized information in relevant sections. According to the outline, the summarized statement should be placed in relevant sections.
After inserting information in the relevant section, the employer should review the whole handbook to make sure that no policy has been left out.
Next, to make sure that the employee handbook complies with any state or federal laws, you should consider the help of a lawyer.
Select the means of publication to publish the employee handbook.
Then, company has to ensure that the printed copies of the handbook are distributed in a systematic manner.
Finally, the employer has to assure that the handbook is constantly updated.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, an employee handbook template serves as a guide for the employers to make the handbook. Before allowing new hires to play their role, you should give them employee handbook so that they have knowledge about the company’s expectations.

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