In most roles I’ve begun, an worker handbook was the primary inner doc I learn. So naturally, I’d make a whole lot of assumptions in regards to 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 parts 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 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 staff. Right here’s why.
1. Inform new hires.
Once I was employed at Paramount, I underwent a two-day orientation and onboarding.
Throughout this era, I obtained an worker handbook that outlined employees 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, world group.
It was additionally a reduction to know this was a information I may repeatedly seek advice from 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 an ideal place for corporations to stipulate these insurance policies to make sure all employees are given the knowledge they want and that employers adjust to legal guidelines and rules.
3. Declare firm objectives.
Most profitable corporations have cohesive imaginative and prescient propositions, mission statements, and values that present context for the corporate’s goal. These statements additionally information staff towards a shared purpose.
Fashionable worker handbooks embody this data to ensure all employees are instantly made conscious of why they had been employed and the way they’ll play a task within the larger imaginative and prescient.
Studying this data in my worker handbooks additionally helped me develop enthusiasm and fervour for my upcoming work.
What to Embody in an Worker Handbook
Realizing 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 a whole lot of worth in higher understanding the corporate from an inner lens in an worker handbook.
Whereas Paramount has a whole lot of externally-facing data, 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 discovered 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 discovered a whole lot of primary employee-wide tips, comparable to hybrid workplace necessities and the gown 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 countless questions on my new employment, significantly how and when to enroll for advantages. This part supplies details about that, in addition to extra critical subjects comparable to disciplinary techniques.
In tandem, it supplies data in case an worker needs to depart the corporate for no matter purpose.
Staff who don’t really feel comfy asking sure questions earlier than asserting their go away can seek advice from the worker handbook to grasp when their insurance coverage protection ends and if they are going to be paid out for unused break day.
4. Efficiency and Profession Growth Insurance policies
Ahead-thinkers like me are at all times planning for what’s subsequent. Once I begin a brand new position, I need to really feel assured that I’ll be part of a workforce 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 supplies 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 ideal place to refer again to every time 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 possible have questions on how they’re paid (weekly or bi-weekly) and the way their payroll deductions look. It’s necessary data to have available.
6. Depart Coverage
I’m grateful to work on a workforce and at an organization that encourages me to take break day for trip, sick time, and private days. I discovered a whole lot of this data 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 yr, 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 break day.
7. Equal Employment and Nondiscrimination Coverage
As a younger girl of coloration, working at an organization that acknowledges the significance of range and inclusion is an absolute precedence.
I satisfaction myself on working for a workforce with every kind 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 needs to contribute to the tradition.
8. Computer systems and Expertise Coverage
Many corporations like mine have embraced a hybrid work setting, which means we go into the workplace a number of days per week and work remotely the opposite days.
Because of this, staff at my firm obtain company-owned gadgets, comparable to laptops and telephones.
This will result in many safety and privateness points, so I like to recommend together with a bit within the worker handbook that communicates rules round utilizing company-owned gadgets and applications.
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, comparable to requiring badges for entry and protocols within the case of emergency occasions, comparable to a hearth.
This additionally helps scale back firm legal responsibility by making certain this necessary life-preserving data 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, data, and plans that aren’t for the general public eye. However with this chance comes an enormous duty 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 data for inner operations and shoppers and how you can 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 comply with all of the insurance policies, procedures, and techniques laid out.
This ensures staff 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 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 parts are prioritized within the office, comparable to autonomy or steady schooling.
Code of Conduct
Provide a normal overview of ethics and compliance, which permit the corporate to pretty regulate and assess a person’s habits.
Element necessary insurance policies, together with tardiness, gown code, and disciplinary actions.
Present assets 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 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 staff to appropriate errors.
Summarize what advantages staff are entitled to and for a way lengthy, if terminated.
Efficiency and Profession Growth 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, comparable to tuition reimbursement, commuter advantages, parking, worker referral bonuses, and 401(ok) plans.
Present steering concerning compensation, comparable to complete wage, payroll deductions, and compensation will increase for particular job descriptions.
Doc the cost schedule for every worker (weekly or bi-weekly).
Depart Coverage
Share how a lot paid and unpaid trip time staff obtain.
Make clear insurance policies round sick time, medical go away, and paid household go away and guarantee these adjust to U.S. Division of Labor legal guidelines, if relevant.
Record firm holidays.
Equal Employment and Nondiscrimination Coverage
Embody an employment and nondiscrimination coverage, per The U.S. Division of Labor Equal Employment Alternative legislation.
Reiterate to staff that discrimination or harassment will not be tolerated within the office.
Computer systems and Expertise Coverage
Relay what staff can and may’t do with their supplied know-how.
Inform whether or not the corporate has the suitable to view emails despatched on firm computer systems, if social media needs to be prevented on these gadgets, and the way a lot privateness they need to anticipate 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 tips, comparable to badge utilization, visitor insurance policies, and prohibited objects.
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
Record what data staff should preserve personal, comparable to the corporate‘s inner marketing strategy, shopper data, and staff’ monetary account data.
Share methods staff can guarantee privateness and confidentiality, comparable to 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, try 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.
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 speak to a lawyer when writing a non-disclosure settlement. After the intro, I like to recommend including details about your tradition code. Then, you may discuss particular insurance policies.
After this part, I like to recommend itemizing out any related worker advantages. That features their compensation, advantages, and paid break day.
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 data 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.
Due to this fact, I’ve gathered an inventory 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 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 e-book is designed as a digital information, representing its trendy, progressive model qualities properly.
I particularly love the aesthetically pleasing coloration scheme, gentle fonts, imagery, and humorousness.
Supply
Whereas I’m curious about an organization’s origin, I don’t essentially need to learn a prolonged historical past e-book about it.
Warby Parker does an outstanding 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.
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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.
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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 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 a whole lot of necessary, necessary data, it might probably additionally excite staff.
Not like Warby Parker, this web page has a crisp and clear black-and-white design. Nevertheless, I feel this works properly with the language used. It’s a honest and sincere ode to the tradition they’ve and aspire to have.
Supply
I really like the above introduction, because it authentically reveals what Netflix prioritizes in its workforce whereas admitting that it generally falls wanting these objectives 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 might 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 inner, employed staff).
I respect this part as a result of it calls out that there are strict guidelines for important insurance policies, comparable to harassment and privateness.
However then, the model personalizes by stating a few of their much less critical insurance policies, comparable to “Take trip” being their trip coverage, and “Act in Netflix’s finest pursuits” being the bills coverage.
Language like this provides necessary data whereas providing context in regards to the firm tradition. There’s a approach to be critical about critical issues and playful in regards to the enjoyable elements of an worker handbook.
3. HubSpot
To not toot our personal horn, however the HubSpot Tradition Code is fairly nice.
Certainly one of 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 by way of now and again, slightly than digging by way of 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 required by explaining the hows and whys new hires care about.
In spite of everything, job descriptions describe quite a bit a few position however much less about the way it feels to be part of the neighborhood.
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For the reason that Tradition Code is 128 slides, there’s a fast abstract of the tenets on slide 17. Not solely does this perform as a type of desk of contents, nevertheless it additionally works as a set of firm values that can be influential.
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The HubSpot Tradition Code seamlessly combines necessary insurance policies and data for brand new hires with motivational, progressive messages. It conveys key authorized and cultural factors in the identical presentation.
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As an illustration, within the slide proven above, new hires obtain specific details about profession growth alternatives obtainable 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 brief, clear mottos which can 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 help new hires put their work into perspective.
You may see this idea exemplified within the following slide.
Supply
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 of how important an worker handbook might be. I’ve referred to a lot of mine earlier than for understanding my rights and tasks.
Nevertheless, engaged on this submit taught me that an worker handbook additionally presents 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 prospect to impress you — now it’s your alternative to impress them.
Editor’s word: This submit was initially revealed in December 2018 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.