The Small-Business Guide to Creating Your Employee Handbook

What all great companies have in common is a well-defined set of rules recorded in an easily accessible employee handbook. The Small-Business Guide to Creating Your Employee Handbook provides you with all the information you need to create an understandable set of rules and regulations for your employees to follow. New and current employees will appreciate the information you set out in your employee handbook. It not only provides your employees with company policies but also provides protection against unfair treatment, discrimination, and legal claims. Your handbook will be a valuable communication tool for both your business and your employees. This step-by-step guide will help you define professional conduct, establish health and safety requirements, describe group and other benefits, and construct social media policies. It also provides information on how to make a nondisclosure agreement so employees cannot give information about your company to your competitors, while they are employed by you or after they leave. The download kit included with this book contains easy-to-use forms to help you as you prepare your small business’s very own employee handbook.
Introduction xiii 1 About This Employee Handbook 1 2 Start Your Handbook with a Welcoming Introduction 5 3 Employment Policies 9 4 Position and Pay 13 1. Defining Positions 13 2. Training Pay 14 3. Pay for Travel 14 4. Overtime (OT) pay 15 5. Meal Breaks 15 6. Pay Periods 15 7. Recording Hours Worked 16 vi The Small–Business Guide to Creating Your Employee Handbook 8. Report to Work Pay Guidelines 16 9. Working from Home or a Remote Location 17 5 Benefits 21 1. Group Benefits 21 2. Other Benefits 21 6 Holidays and Time Away from Work 25 1. Statutory Holidays 25 2. Vacation Policy, Pay, and Eligibility 25 3. Other Leaves of Absence 27 3.1 Pregnancy, parental, or adoption leave 27 3.2 Compassionate care leave 27 3.3 Jury or witness duty or reservist leave 27 3.4 Family responsibility leave 27 3.5 Bereavement leave 27 3.6 Other personal leaves of absence 28 7 Health and Safety 43 8 Company Policies 47 1. Attendance and Punctuality 47 2. Dress Code or Special Clothing and Personal Hygiene 47 3. Job Abandonment 48 4. Professional Conduct and Possible Reasons for Termination 48 5. Technology Use Policy 48 6. Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace 48 7. Non-Disclosure Agreement 49 9 Other Information 57 1. If You Voluntarily Leave the Company 57 2. Changes to Your Personal Information 57 3. Any Other Company-Specific Policies 57 10 Not Quite the End 61 Contents vii Samples 1. About the Handbook 3 2. Welcome Page 7 3. Disability Accommodations Policy 9 4. Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying Policy 10 5. Human Rights Policy 11 6. Defining Positions 17 7. Pay for Training 17 8. Travel Time Pay Guidelines 18 9. Overtime Pay 19 10. Meal Breaks 19 11. Pay Periods 19 12. Recording Hours Worked 20 13. Report to Work Pay Guidelines 20 14. Working from Home or a Remote Location 20 15. Benefits Plan 23 16. Statutory Holidays 30 17. Vacation Policy, Pay, and Eligibility 33 18. Pregnancy, Parental, or Adoption Leave 36 19. Compassionate Care Leave 38 20. Jury or Witness Duty or Reservist Leave 39 21. Family Responsibility Leave BC 39 22. Bereavement Leave 40 23. Other Leaves of Absence 41 24. No Guarantee 42 25. Benefits While on Leave 42 26. Health and Safety 45 27. Attendance and Punctuality 49 28. Dress Code 49 29. Special Clothing 50 30. Personal Hygiene 50 31. Job Abandonment 50 viii The Small–Business Guide to Creating Your Employee Handbook 32. Professional Conduct and Termination 51 33. Technology Use 52 34. Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace 56 35. Non-Disclosure 56 36. Leaving the Company 58 37. Personal Information 59