In most roles I’ve begun, an worker handbook was the primary inside doc I learn. So naturally, I’d make plenty of assumptions in regards to the form 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, rules, 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 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 company’s insurance policies, procedures, and worker expectations.
It’s an important useful resource for brand spanking new hires and current workers. Staff can overview their rights and tasks 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.
After I was employed at Paramount, I underwent a two-day orientation and onboarding.
Throughout this era, I obtained 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 might be an upstanding member of such a big, international group.
It was additionally a reduction to know this was a information I might constantly confer with every time 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 a fantastic place for corporations to stipulate these insurance policies to make sure all workers are given the data they want and that employers adjust to legal guidelines and rules.
3. Declare firm targets.
Most profitable corporations have cohesive imaginative and prescient propositions, mission statements, and values that present context for the corporate’s function. These statements additionally information staff towards a shared aim.
Trendy worker handbooks embody this info to ensure all staff are instantly made conscious of why they had been employed and the way they will play a task 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 Embrace in an Worker Handbook
Understanding the place to start is tough 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 plenty of worth in higher understanding the corporate from an inside lens in an worker handbook.
Whereas Paramount has plenty of externally-facing info, staff will get an inside scoop on what makes it so particular.
This can be a nice approach to start the worker handbook, providing new staff 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 in regards to the moral requirements {and professional} habits 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 plenty of fundamental employee-wide tips, similar to hybrid workplace necessities and the costume code.
General, the code of conduct shares the corporate’s values and desired habits 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 limitless questions on my new employment, significantly how and when to enroll for advantages. This part offers details about that, in addition to extra severe matters similar to disciplinary methods.
In tandem, it offers info in case an worker needs to depart the corporate for no matter motive.
Staff who don’t really feel snug asking sure questions earlier than saying their depart can confer 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 Improvement Insurance policies
Ahead-thinkers like me are at all times planning for what’s subsequent. After I begin a brand new position, I wish to really feel assured that I’ll be part of a staff that prioritizes my studying and profession progress.
This part is a superb place to put out how promotions and raises happen, and what alternatives the corporate offers 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 a fantastic place to refer again to every 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’m going to grasp my compensation. New hires will possible 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 staff and at an organization that encourages me to take day off for trip, sick time, and private days. I realized plenty 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 obtained 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 girl of colour, working at an organization that acknowledges the significance of range and inclusion is an absolute precedence.
I satisfaction myself on working for a staff with every kind of people that have numerous 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 needs to contribute to the tradition.
8. Computer systems and Know-how Coverage
Many corporations like mine have embraced a hybrid work setting, that means we go into the workplace just a few days per week and work remotely the opposite days.
Because of this, staff at my firm obtain company-owned units, similar to 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 rules 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 desperate 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, similar to requiring badges for entry and protocols within the case of emergency occasions, similar to a fireplace.
This additionally helps scale back firm legal responsibility by making certain this essential life-preserving info is supplied 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 an enormous duty to protect the confidentiality of this data.
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 purchasers and learn how to preserve privateness to make sure it’s not misused or shared externally.
11. Signature Web page
An important a part of the worker handbook is when staff really 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 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.
- Embrace perception into the corporate tradition and what components are prioritized within the office, similar to autonomy or steady schooling.
Code of Conduct
- Provide a common overview of ethics and compliance, which permit the corporate to pretty regulate and assess a person’s habits.
- Element essential insurance policies, together with tardiness, costume 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 the way lengthy, if terminated.
Efficiency and Profession Improvement Insurance policies
- Lay out the worker analysis course of and at what cadence these opinions 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 concerning well being care, dental, imaginative and prescient, life insurance coverage, and shares.
- Share details about different worker advantages, similar to tuition reimbursement, commuter advantages, parking, worker referral bonuses, and 401(ok) plans.
- Present steering concerning compensation, similar to whole wage, payroll deductions, and compensation will increase for particular job descriptions.
- Doc the fee 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 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
- Embrace 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 Know-how Coverage
- Relay what staff can and might’t do with their supplied expertise.
- Inform whether or not the corporate has the correct to view emails despatched on firm computer systems, if social media needs to be prevented on these units, and the way a lot privateness they need to anticipate whereas utilizing firm property.
- Share if any actions carried out on firm expertise are fireable offenses.
Well being and Security Insurance policies
- Define office security tips, similar to badge utilization, visitor insurance policies, and prohibited gadgets.
- Relay important emergency procedures within the occasion of a hearth 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 hold personal, similar to the corporate‘s inside marketing strategy, shopper info, and staff’ monetary account info.
- Share methods staff can guarantee privateness and confidentiality, similar to avoiding public wifi, by no means leaving firm units unattended, and requesting NDAs from companions earlier than sharing paperwork.
Signature Web page
- Embrace 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 gives a basis to combine your model’s customized messaging and data.
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, overview state and federal legal guidelines and phone a lawyer when writing a non-disclosure settlement. After the intro, I like to recommend including details about your tradition code. Then, you may 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 rules. 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 conventional 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 usually are not 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, comfortable fonts, imagery, and humorousness.
Whereas I’m inquisitive about an organization’s origin, I don’t essentially wish to learn a prolonged historical past guide about it.
Warby Parker does an outstanding 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 really 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 might really feel assured that it is a place that encourages creativity, doesn’t take itself too significantly, and prioritizes the well-being of its workforce.
2. Netflix
Netflix’s tradition web page is a superb instance of how a model can personalize its worker handbook for potential, new, and long-time hires.
Whereas an worker handbook has plenty of essential, obligatory info, it may well additionally excite staff.
Not like Warby Parker, this web page has a crisp and clear black-and-white design. Nonetheless, I feel 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 wanting 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 could 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 inside, employed staff).
I respect this part as a result of it calls out that there are strict guidelines for important insurance policies, similar to harassment and privateness.
However then, the model personalizes by stating a few of their much less severe insurance policies, similar to “Take trip” being their trip coverage, and “Act in Netflix’s finest pursuits” being the bills coverage.
Language like this provides essential info whereas providing context in regards to the firm tradition. There’s a approach to be severe about severe issues and playful in regards to 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 all 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 via occasionally, relatively than digging via 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 any case, job descriptions describe so much a few position however much less about the way it feels to be part of the neighborhood.
For the reason that Tradition Code is 128 slides, there’s a fast abstract of the tenets on slide 17. Not solely does this operate as a type of desk of contents, but it surely additionally works as a set of firm values that can be influential.
The HubSpot Tradition Code seamlessly combines essential insurance policies and data 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 growth alternatives accessible 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 an enormous fan of quick, clear mottos which are straightforward 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 might 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 via 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 tough to craft from scratch.
That’s why I’ve included some actual examples of profitable and galvanizing codes of conduct:
Extra Than a Handbook
I’ve by no means thought-about how important an worker handbook could be. I’ve referred to a lot of mine earlier than for understanding my rights and tasks.
Nonetheless, engaged on this publish taught me that an worker handbook additionally presents the chance to model one of many first paperwork new hires contact.
It’s a possibility to share an organization’s persona and what makes it an incredible place to work. Your new rent had the possibility to impress you — now it’s your alternative to impress them.
Editor’s observe: This publish was initially revealed in December 2018 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.