I am absolutely passionate about making sure your business is HR Compliant and one of the
easiest ways for me to do that is by getting right back to basics and checking all of your
paperwork is in order. One of the most common issues I come across is the lack of, or the
inadequacy of the Employee Handbook. This is the one document I come across that is
rarely changed – believe it or not I’ve actually seen Employee handbooks that haven’t been
changed in 20 years or more! In this blog, I’ll explore the invaluable advantages of
maintaining an up-to-date Employee Handbook that aligns seamlessly with employment
regulations.
How Your Employee Handbook Benefits Your Business
Consider your Employee Handbook as the initial line of defence against potential employee-
related disputes. A meticulously written set of policies and procedures serves a dual
purpose: it proactively prevents workplace conflicts and offers robust support should any
HR-related issues escalate into legal matters.
By dedicating time to provide your staff with a comprehensive overview of your Employee
Handbook during onboarding or induction, you empower both yourself and your employees.
To fully harness the potential of your Employee Handbook, it’s advisable to schedule regular
reviews and complement them with training or informational sessions to address staff
inquiries – engaging with your staff on this living document will help business growth and
promote workplace wellbeing, what’s not to like about that?.
What’s Included in an Employee Handbook?
In my time working with companies of all sizes and shapes all across Ireland I have seen
huge ringbinder folder employee handbooks and one page employee handbooks. So what
should actually be included? In essence, your Employee Handbook should encompass your
business’s policies and procedures. While some of these policies are legally mandated,
others serve to ensure clarity on day-to-day operational matters. Its my job to make sure the
legally mandated parts are correct and included – this is where I can help you if you’re
reading this blog thinking you might need to restructure or create a new Employee
Handbook.
The Legal aspect
To put it bluntly there is no way that you, as an employer, can get away with NOT having an
up to date employee handbook. There is no excuse for the one page document or the
booklet that is unchanged since 1995! An Employee Handbook is something that is legally
mandated by the WRC, there are also laws governing when this handbook needs to be
given to your staff during their initial probation period and in their longer term employment
with your company. If the WRC ever does come calling, one of the first documents they
would want to see is your up to date employee handbook. Considering there are new
mandates and acts coming to pass throughout the rest of this year and into 2024 it is vital
that you do the work to make sure your handbook is compliant.
One of the ways I work with businesses is by reviewing their existing handbook and making
sure it is legally compliant and the policies it includes are all up to date. I can take away the
headache of you worrying and wondering if you are using an internet template correctly, or
trying to put something together yourself by doing the leg work for you.
Book a call to talk through your new Employee Handbook today.