As a small business owner, it’s your responsibility to protect your organization and the people you employ. Creating an Employee Guidebook is an important foundational tool (and easy enough to create with the right help) as your organization continues to grow.
What is an Employee Guidebook?
As an employer you are responsible for developing specific policies, procedures and programs to ensure you are compliant with all applicable laws. i.e., Health & Safety, Labor Codes etc.
The best way to collect and keep all of that information up to date and accessible to your employees is in an Employee Guidebook. It ensures key company policies are clearly and consistently communicated.
Why is it important?
While a Guidebook is not required by law and writing policies and procedures isn’t the most exciting part of running a business, having one does help to avoid confusion and misunderstandings within the organization. It sets clear expectations for your employees while also stating your legal obligations and defining employee rights.
What are the benefits?
- Helps employees understand what is expected of them and what is acceptable conduct in the workplace
- Provides guidance on how to handle issues or where to go for help when an issue arises
- It’s an introduction of your business for new hires
- Showcases the benefits you offer
- Helps protect your business by clearly outlining policies
- Educates your employees on what they can expect from Management and Leadership
- It’s a great tool for Management and Leadership to ensure their actions align to policy and best practices
What should go into it?
While the topics in a Guidebook may vary depending on your industry and which laws you follow (provincial vs. federal) generally you would include the following:
- Mission & Values
- Time Away from Work
- Compensation & Benefits
- Employment Practices
- Workplace Processes/Environment
- Health & Safety
- Workplace Harassment, Discrimination and Violence
- Privacy, Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest
Each topic listed above would be further drilled down into sub-topics and defined further to provide clarity.
How often should it be updated?
Your Guidebook should be reviewed and updated annually. Once updated, employees should be asked to review it and sign and date an acknowledgement. Providing an overview guide to employees of what has changed from the last version is always helpful.
How do I get my employees to review it?
Review and acknowledgement of the Guidebook should be part of your on-boarding process with new hires. For the remainder of the employees, set an annual timeframe for review and acknowledgement. Ensure the Guidebook is in an accessible format to everyone, whether it’s printed or provided online. Outline the changes that have been made from the last version to the newest version and give employees an opportunity to ask questions.
Remember that no policy is effective if it is practiced inconsistently or is not clear. Providing your employees with a Guidebook sets expectations from day one, creating a strong foundation from which your organization and the people within it can grow.
Need help creating or reviewing an Employee Guidebook? Contact the experts at ThryvX today! Our professionals will work with you to tailor the Guidebook to your organization based on industry, size and needs. Contact us today! info@thryvx.com
