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12 Tips To Consider While Writing Employee Handbook Guidelines

Forbes Human Resources Council
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Expert Panel, Forbes Human Resources Council

As with any legal document a company needs, there are great examples and horrible examples of employee guidelines, with lots of boring ones sprinkled throughout. While it is critical that the handbook reflects the latest labor laws and social norms, it also needs to take into the account company culture and be engaging enough for your employees to pay attention. For many businesses, getting the employee guidelines just right can be a process of trial and error.

There can be many types of mistakes that HR and leaders can make when writing employee handbooks, some of which can be avoided if you know where to look. To help you create quality guidelines that also keep readers engaged, we asked 12 experts from Forbes Human Resources Council to weigh in with their favorite tips and tricks.

Photos courtesy of the individual members.

1. Define Over Time

As HR, we want to make sure we have all our bases covered. But, there is such a thing as being too specific with policies. The more specific, the more exceptions. Oftentimes, HR leaders will model their policies after other companies. The best way to avoid these mistakes is to start with broad policy and further define them over time. - Tiffany Jensen, Pure Grips

2. Develop For The 99%

The biggest mistake we make in HR regarding employee policies is developing them based on the 1% of employees who abuse the rules we put in place. This is a huge source of disengagement to the 99% of employees who will actually do the right thing. We need to flip things around and base what we do and say on the 99% of our population, building trust in how we treat them. - Debra Corey, Reward Gateway

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3. Review It Periodically

An employee handbook is a tool for both managers and employees. An employee handbook should be reviewed by other members of the HR team and selected managers prior to a legal review. When an employee handbook is distributed, HR should communicate its purpose. An employee handbook should be revisited every quarter in the first year of implementation to be able to quickly address any miscommunication. - Sherry Martin, OmniTRAX

4. Avoid Restricting Employees’ Online Behavior

One common mistake companies make is trying to control their brand with overly restrictive social media policies. The employee handbook should include clear guidelines with regard to social media activities, while still allowing employees the freedom to express themselves. HR should have the handbook reviewed periodically by an employment attorney and provide employees with an updated copy. - John Feldmann, Insperity

5. Don't Get Mired In The Minutiae

In the quest to make an employee handbook comprehensive, many HR or company leaders try to address everything under the sun. The truth of the matter is, if you have strong hiring practices and leadership heading your teams, there will be less reliance on the handbook itself. It's prudent to cover the legal essentials, but don't forget to highlight the company's values, ethos and best practices. - Angela Nguyen, Ad Exchange Group

6. Keep It Accessible And User-Friendly

Successful employee handbooks strike a balance between completeness and brevity. Employers should have a legal professional review policies, while also reading them through the lens of employees. Are expectations of each employee clear and current? Storing the handbook online can provide real-time access and streamline the process for communicating additions, revisions or corrections. - Stacey Browning, Paycor

7. Practice What You Preach

Try to consider the practical application of your policies and stop including policies that you have no intent to enforce. For example, you should not have a strict anti-gambling policy if you have a company-sanctioned March Madness bracket pool every year. This type of selective enforcement undermines the influence of other policies that you may want to be taken more seriously. - Cristin Heyns-Bousliman, Human Resources Experience, LLC

8. Make Clear The Purpose Of Each Policy

One mistake I've seen when crafting and distributing employee handbooks is failing to describe or train on the intended goal of each policy. Because employees interpret policy intent and scope differently, policy-makers should introduce each policy with a short description of the spirit of the policy and reinforce it by providing training throughout the year to offer more context, as appropriate. - Dr. Timothy J. Giardino, Cantata Health & Meta Healthcare IT Solutions

9. Keep Up With The Legal Changes

Employee handbooks sometimes get employment law wrong. It’s easy to do because laws are periodically revised or evolve as new court rulings refine nuances and special situations. New state or local laws must also be considered, even though they seem to be at odds with federal rules. If your handbook doesn’t keep up with changes, mistakes can lead to complaints or lawsuits down the line. - Michele Markey, SkillPath

10. Seek An Employee-Audience Review

HR/organizational leaders discuss employee behaviors and correlating HR policies behind closed doors due to the discretionary and confidential nature of our work — rightfully so. Once new employee guidelines are decided upon and changes implemented, however, the next phase of the process is to seek sampled feedback from the employee audience. Review their feedback and make edits before implementing. - Christine Wzorek, Disruptive Advertising

11. Consider The Voice Of Your Culture

We've all read handbooks that we'd rather we didn't — boring and droning on about policy and procedure with no end in sight. This is a surefire way to drive employees away from the guidelines, rather than pull them in. Why not make the handbook engaging and interactive? Your handbook should have the voice of your culture, be welcoming, warm and easy to follow. Get your message read. - Pamela Goldswer, Townsend Leather

12. Opt For Policies That Are An Absolute Must

Employees are not a one-size-fits-all process. While some policies are a must, many other employment aspects should be flexible to meet the needs of both the organization and diverse workforce. Organizations with an overabundance of policies can be restrictive and stifle employee engagement. Opt for policies that are an absolute must and train leaders to navigate through everything else. - Lucy Rivas-Enriquez, Union Rescue Mission - Los Angeles