In most roles I’ve begun, an worker handbook was the primary inner doc I learn. So naturally, I’d make a variety of assumptions concerning the sort 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 new hires and current employees. Staff can overview their rights and obligations as members of the corporate.
Why is having an worker handbook vital?
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 employees expectations. That doc included methods to advertise privateness, concord, security, and group.
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, world group.
It was additionally a aid to know this was a information I may constantly consult with each 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 an important place for corporations to stipulate these insurance policies to make sure all employees are given the data they want and that employers adjust to legal guidelines and rules.
3. Declare firm targets.
Most profitable corporations have cohesive vision propositions, mission statements, and values that present context for the corporate’s goal. These statements additionally information workers towards a shared purpose.
Trendy worker handbooks embody this info to ensure all staff are instantly made conscious of why they have been employed and the way they’ll play a task within the larger 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. Take a look at the sections I’ve discovered most helpful.
1. Introduction to Firm and Values
As talked about, I’ve discovered a variety of worth in higher understanding the corporate from an inner lens in an worker handbook.
Whereas Paramount has a variety of externally-facing info, workers will get an inside scoop on what makes it so particular.
This can be a nice solution to start the worker handbook, providing new workers an elevator pitch about why the corporate issues and why they need to be excited to hitch it.
2. Code of Conduct
Right here, I discovered 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 group.
I’ve additionally discovered a variety of primary employee-wide tips, equivalent to 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 countless questions on my new employment, significantly how and when to enroll for advantages. This part gives details about that, in addition to extra critical subjects equivalent to 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 snug asking sure questions earlier than asserting their depart can consult 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 all the time 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 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 data
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 each 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 am 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 vital info to have available.
6. Depart 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 discovered a variety 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 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 steerage 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 delight myself on working for a staff with all types of people that have numerous views, which makes our work stronger.
I imagine all corporations ought to spotlight these insurance policies of their worker handbooks so new hires know from the get-go that the corporate is critical about who it desires to contribute to the tradition.
8. Computer systems and Know-how Coverage
Many corporations like mine have embraced a hybrid work surroundings, that means we go into the workplace a couple of days per week and work remotely the opposite days.
For that reason, workers at my firm obtain company-owned units, equivalent to laptops and telephones.
This may 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. Nevertheless, as a brand new rent, I used to be wanting 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, equivalent to requiring badges for entry and protocols within the case of emergency occasions, equivalent to a fireplace.
This additionally helps cut back firm legal responsibility by making certain this vital 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 information, 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.
Subsequently, it’s important to make clear within the worker handbook what is taken into account confidential info for inner operations and purchasers and how one can 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 comply with all of the insurance policies, procedures, and techniques laid out.
This ensures workers learn and comply with 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 precious 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, equivalent to autonomy or steady training.
Code of Conduct
- Provide a common overview of ethics and compliance, which permit the corporate to pretty regulate and assess a person’s conduct.
- Element vital 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 give up.
- 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 enable workers to appropriate errors.
- Summarize what advantages workers are entitled to and for a way lengthy, if terminated.
Efficiency and Profession Improvement Insurance policies
- Lay out the worker analysis course of and at what cadence these critiques 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 vital advantages concerning well being care, dental, imaginative and prescient, life insurance coverage, and shares.
- Share details about different worker advantages, equivalent to tuition reimbursement, commuter advantages, parking, worker referral bonuses, and 401(ok) plans.
- Present steerage concerning compensation, equivalent to whole wage, payroll deductions, and compensation will increase for particular job descriptions.
- Doc the fee schedule for every worker (weekly or bi-weekly).
Depart 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. Department of Labor laws, if relevant.
- Listing firm holidays.
Equal Employment and Nondiscrimination Coverage
- Embrace an employment and nondiscrimination coverage, per The U.S. Division of Labor Equal Employment Opportunity regulation.
- Reiterate to workers that discrimination or harassment will not be tolerated within the office.
Computer systems and Know-how Coverage
- Relay what workers can and might’t do with their offered expertise.
- 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 units, and the way a lot privateness they need to count on 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, equivalent to 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
- Listing what info workers should preserve personal, equivalent to the corporate‘s inner marketing strategy, shopper info, and workers’ monetary account info.
- Share methods workers can guarantee privateness and confidentiality, equivalent 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.
In the event you’d like an much more seamless, plug-and-play template, try HubSpot’s free employee handbook template that gives a basis to combine your model’s personalised messaging and data.
Pattern Worker Handbook
I like to recommend you create an worker handbook that’s distinctive and explicit to your tradition and firm values.
Nevertheless, 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 illustration, evaluation 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 discuss 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 have 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 inner eyes solely, making them inaccessible to curious weblog writers.
Subsequently, I’ve gathered a listing of inventive, 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.
After all, 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, reasonably priced eyewear model from whom I’ve bought one too many pairs of eyeglasses. Its tradition e book is designed as a digital information, representing its fashionable, modern model qualities properly.
I particularly love the aesthetically pleasing colour scheme, tender fonts, imagery, and humorousness.
Whereas I’m involved in an organization’s origin, I don’t essentially wish to learn a prolonged historical past e book about it.
Warby Parker does an exceptional job of maintaining its historical past brief and simply digestible by designing the origin story as a textual content dialog and the historical past as a visible timeline.
Lastly, I 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 have been an worker at this firm, I might really feel assured that it is a place that encourages creativity, doesn’t take itself too critically, 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 a variety of vital, obligatory info, it might probably additionally excite workers.
Not like Warby Parker, this web page has a crisp and clear black-and-white design. Nevertheless, 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 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 aid to know you will be part of the continual development.
Under is a snapshot of how Netflix outlines its guidelines, with out getting too into the weeds (that’s for inner, employed workers).
I recognize this part as a result of it calls out that there are strict guidelines for important insurance policies, equivalent to harassment and privateness.
However then, the model personalizes by stating a few of their much less critical insurance policies, equivalent to “Take trip” being their trip coverage, and “Act in Netflix’s finest pursuits” being the bills coverage.
Language like this offers vital info whereas providing context concerning the firm tradition. There’s a solution to be critical about critical issues and playful concerning the enjoyable elements of an worker handbook.
3. HubSpot
To not toot our personal horn, however the HubSpot Culture Code is fairly nice.
One in all my many favourite elements is that it’s in a slide presentation format. This makes it really feel much less daunting and extra accessible to flip via once in a while, quite than digging via a prolonged doc.
I recognize 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 loads a couple of position however much less about the way it feels to be part of the group.
Because the 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, however it additionally works as a set of firm values that shall be influential.
The HubSpot Tradition Code seamlessly combines vital insurance policies and data for brand new hires with motivational, modern messages. It conveys key authorized and cultural factors in the identical presentation.
As an illustration, within the slide proven above, new hires obtain specific details about profession improvement alternatives out there on the firm.
This aligns with the Efficiency and profession improvement insurance policies mentioned above whereas being reassured that HubSpot prioritizes profession development simply as a lot as its merchandise.
I’m additionally an enormous fan of brief, clear mottos which are 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 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 vital 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 will be. I’ve referred to a lot of mine earlier than for understanding my rights and obligations.
Nevertheless, engaged on this put up taught me that an worker handbook additionally affords the chance to model one of many first paperwork new hires contact.
It’s a chance to share an organization’s persona 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.
