In most roles I’ve begun, an worker handbook was the primary inside doc I learn. So naturally, I’d make numerous assumptions concerning the type of place I used to be employed at based mostly 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.
Beneath, I’ll cowl the significance of an worker handbook, 9 important components 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 corporation’s insurance policies, procedures, and worker expectations.
It’s a vital useful resource for brand spanking new hires and present workers. Workers can overview their rights and tasks as members of the corporate.
Why is having an worker handbook necessary?
Worker handbooks are important for a number of causes, for each the employer and workers. Right here’s why.
1. Inform new hires.
After I was employed at Paramount, I underwent a two-day orientation and onboarding.
Throughout this era, I acquired an worker handbook that outlined workers expectations. That doc included methods to advertise privateness, concord, security, and neighborhood.
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 repeatedly check with at any time when questions or considerations 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 corporations should uphold.
Worker handbooks are an important place for corporations to stipulate these insurance policies to make sure all workers are given the knowledge they want and that employers adjust to legal guidelines and laws.
3. Declare firm targets.
Most profitable corporations have cohesive imaginative and prescient propositions, mission statements, and values that present context for the corporate’s objective. These statements additionally information workers towards a shared purpose.
Trendy worker handbooks embody this info to ensure all employees are instantly made conscious of why they had been employed and the way they’ll play a job within the better imaginative and prescient.
Studying this info in my worker handbooks additionally helped me develop enthusiasm and keenness for my upcoming work.
What to Embody in an Worker Handbook
Figuring out the place to start is tough when crafting an worker handbook. Take a look at the sections I’ve discovered most helpful.
1. Introduction to Firm and Values
As talked about, I’ve discovered numerous worth in higher understanding the corporate from an inside lens in an worker handbook.
Whereas Paramount has numerous externally-facing info, workers will get an inside scoop on what makes it so particular.
It is a nice approach to start the worker handbook, providing new workers an elevator pitch about why the corporate issues and why they need to be excited to affix 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 neighborhood.
I’ve additionally realized numerous fundamental employee-wide pointers, reminiscent of hybrid workplace necessities and the gown code.
Total, the code of conduct shares the corporate’s values and desired conduct that it needs to foster in workers of all ranges.
3. New Rent and Separation Coverage
As a brand new rent at Paramount, I had infinite questions on my new employment, notably how and when to enroll for advantages. This part gives details about that, in addition to extra severe matters reminiscent of disciplinary techniques.
In tandem, it gives info in case an worker needs to depart the corporate for no matter cause.
Staff who don’t really feel comfy asking sure questions earlier than asserting their depart can check with the worker handbook to grasp when their insurance coverage protection ends and if they are going to be paid out for unused day off.
4. Efficiency and Profession Growth Insurance policies
Ahead-thinkers like me are at all times planning for what’s subsequent. After I begin a brand new position, I need to really feel assured that I’ll be part of a staff that prioritizes my studying and profession development.
This part is a good place to put out how promotions and raises happen, and what alternatives the corporate gives for workers to broaden their information
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 important place to refer again to at any time when I need 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 grasp my compensation. New hires will seemingly have questions on how they’re paid (weekly or bi-weekly) and the way their payroll deductions look. It’s necessary info to have available.
6. Go away Coverage
I’m grateful to work on a staff and at an organization that encourages me to take day off for trip, sick time, and private days. I realized numerous 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 12 months, in addition to what federal holidays the corporate observes.
It’s useful to have the ability to refer again to this steering when planning holidays and future day off.
7. Equal Employment and Nondiscrimination Coverage
As a younger lady of colour, working at an organization that acknowledges the significance of variety and inclusion is an absolute precedence.
I pleasure myself on working for a staff with all types of people that have various views, which makes our work stronger.
I consider all corporations ought to spotlight these insurance policies of their worker handbooks so new hires know from the get-go that the corporate is severe about who it desires to contribute to the tradition.
8. Computer systems and Expertise Coverage
Many corporations like mine have embraced a hybrid work surroundings, which means we go into the workplace a couple of days every week and work remotely the opposite days.
Because of this, workers at my firm obtain company-owned gadgets, reminiscent of 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 gadgets and packages.
9. Well being and Security Insurance policies.
My firm conducts bi-annual fireplace and security process walkthroughs with safety. Nonetheless, as a brand new rent, I used to be desirous to know these protocols from the beginning, since I had simply missed the final spherical of walkthroughs.
The worker handbook is an effective place to element safety procedures, reminiscent of requiring badges for entry and protocols within the case of emergency occasions, reminiscent of a fireplace.
This additionally helps cut back firm legal responsibility by guaranteeing this necessary 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 of knowledge, info, and plans that aren’t for the general public eye. However with this chance comes an enormous accountability to protect the confidentiality of this information.
Due to this fact, it’s important to make clear within the worker handbook what is taken into account confidential info for inside operations and shoppers and the way to keep privateness to make sure it’s not misused or shared externally.
11. Signature Web page
A very powerful a part of the worker handbook is when workers really conform to all of the insurance policies, procedures, and techniques laid out.
This ensures workers 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 priceless 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 components are prioritized within the office, reminiscent of autonomy or steady schooling.
Code of Conduct
- Provide a basic overview of ethics and compliance, which permit the corporate to pretty regulate and assess a person’s conduct.
- Element necessary 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 workers know whether or not they should wait to obtain their advantages (and the way lengthy) and what steps to take if an worker desires to stop.
- Define the progressive self-discipline coverage, which is a structured method to addressing worker misconduct or efficiency points utilizing more and more strict steps that permit workers to appropriate errors.
- Summarize what advantages workers are entitled to and for the way lengthy, if terminated.
Efficiency and Profession Growth Insurance policies
- Lay out the worker analysis course of and at what cadence these evaluations ought to be arrange with managers.
- Clarify when and the way promotions occur, in addition to coaching and studying alternatives.
Compensation and Advantages Coverage
- Element important advantages concerning well being care, dental, imaginative and prescient, life insurance coverage, and shares.
- Share details about different worker advantages, reminiscent of tuition reimbursement, commuter advantages, parking, worker referral bonuses, and 401(okay) plans.
- Present steering concerning compensation, reminiscent of whole 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 workers obtain.
- Make clear insurance policies round sick time, medical depart, and paid household depart 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 workers that discrimination or harassment will not be tolerated within the office.
Computer systems and Expertise Coverage
- Relay what workers can and might’t do with their offered know-how.
- Inform whether or not the corporate has the precise to view emails despatched on firm computer systems, if social media ought to be averted on these gadgets, 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 pointers, reminiscent of badge utilization, visitor insurance policies, and prohibited objects.
- Relay important emergency procedures within the occasion of a fireplace or safety lockdown.
- Let workers know their rights as administered by The Occupational Security and Well being Administration (OSHA).
Non-Disclosure Settlement and Confidentiality Coverage
- Checklist what info workers should preserve personal, reminiscent of the corporate‘s inside marketing strategy, consumer info, and workers’ monetary account info.
- Share methods workers can guarantee privateness and confidentiality, reminiscent of avoiding public wifi, by no means leaving firm gadgets 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 knowledge detailed within the worker handbook.
In case you’d like an much more seamless, plug-and-play template, take a look at HubSpot’s free worker handbook template that gives a basis to combine your model’s customized messaging and knowledge.
Pattern Worker Handbook
I like to recommend you create an worker handbook that’s distinctive and specific 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 example, evaluate state and federal legal guidelines and make contact with 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 day off.
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 customary — to not point out legally required. Moreover, many insurance policies are for inside eyes solely, making them inaccessible to curious weblog writers.
Due to this fact, I’ve gathered a listing of artistic, 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.
In fact, these examples will not be 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, inexpensive eyewear model from whom I’ve bought one too many pairs of eyeglasses. Its tradition guide is designed as a digital information, representing its fashionable, revolutionary model qualities properly.
I particularly love the aesthetically pleasing colour scheme, gentle fonts, imagery, and humorousness.
Whereas I’m concerned about an organization’s origin, I don’t essentially need to learn a prolonged historical past guide about it.
Warby Parker does an exceptional job of conserving 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 really like the emphasis on the corporate values, framed as “Our Promise.” This exhibits 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 severely, 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 numerous necessary, obligatory info, it will possibly additionally excite workers.
Not like Warby Parker, this web page has a crisp and clear black-and-white design. Nonetheless, I believe this works properly with the language used. It’s a honest and trustworthy ode to the tradition they’ve and aspire to have.
I really like the above introduction, because it authentically reveals what Netflix prioritizes in its workforce whereas admitting that it typically falls in need of these targets 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 may be part of the continual development.
Beneath is a snapshot of how Netflix outlines its guidelines, with out getting too into the weeds (that’s for inside, employed workers).
I admire this part as a result of it calls out that there are strict guidelines for important insurance policies, reminiscent of harassment and privateness.
However then, the model personalizes by stating a few of their much less severe insurance policies, reminiscent of “Take trip” being their trip coverage, and “Act in Netflix’s finest pursuits” being the bills coverage.
Language like this provides necessary info whereas providing context concerning the firm tradition. There’s a approach to be severe about severe issues and playful concerning the enjoyable components of an worker handbook.
3. HubSpot
To not toot our personal horn, however the HubSpot Tradition Code is fairly nice.
One in every of my many favourite components is that it’s in a slide presentation format. This makes it really feel much less daunting and extra accessible to flip by way of from time to time, fairly than digging by way of a prolonged doc.
I admire that HubSpot acknowledges the Tradition Code as extra than simply an worker handbook — it’s a lifestyle. It goes past the required by explaining the hows and whys new hires care about.
In spite of everything, job descriptions describe so much a few position however much less about the way it feels to be part of the neighborhood.
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 form of desk of contents, nevertheless it additionally works as a set of firm values that might be influential.
The HubSpot Tradition Code seamlessly combines necessary insurance policies and knowledge for brand spanking new hires with motivational, revolutionary messages. It conveys key authorized and cultural factors in the identical presentation.
As an example, within the slide proven above, new hires obtain express details about profession improvement alternatives accessible on the firm.
This aligns with the Efficiency and profession improvement insurance policies talked about above whereas being reassured that HubSpot prioritizes profession development simply as a lot as its merchandise.
I’m additionally an enormous fan of quick, clear mottos which might be 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 may also help new hires put their work into perspective.
You possibly can see this idea exemplified within the following slide.
Now that I’ve walked by way 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 essentially necessary and equally as tough 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-about how important an worker handbook may be. I’ve referred to lots of mine earlier than for understanding my rights and tasks.
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 possibility to share an organization’s character and what makes it a tremendous place to work. Your new rent had the possibility to impress you — now it’s your alternative to impress them.
Editor’s notice: This put up was initially revealed in December 2018 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
