How to write an employee handbook in four simple steps
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How to write an employee handbook in four simple steps
Elaine Keep
6 September 2024
10 min read
Elaine Keep
6 September 2024
10 min read
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What is an employee handbook?
The benefits of an employee handbook
Why is an employee handbook needed?
How to write an employee handbook: your step-by-step guide
Tips for writing your employee handbook
How to make your employee handbook essential reading
Want to produce the perfect central resource to get employees on the same page with your policies and key information? You need an employee handbook.
While your new hire onboarding documents might already be an invaluable resource, your employee handbook details everything from employment practices to benefits, conduct guidelines, and more. But an estimated 60% of employees avoid reading their company handbook. Here’s how to make sure yours is read and understood!
What is an employee handbook?
An employee handbook (sometimes called a staff handbook or company handbook) is available to all employees. It outlines your policies, practices, expectations, and essential information about your business in one place. It can also be helpful in a legal situation, such as a tribunal.
While an employee handbook is not legally required, it ensures that policies that are legally required (your disciplinary and grievance procedures, information on statutory time off rights, and a clear holiday procedure, for example) are easily accessible.
While an employee handbook is not legally required, it ensures that policies that are legally required (your disciplinary and grievance procedures, information on statutory time off rights, and a clear holiday procedure, for example) are easily accessible.
The benefits of an employee handbook
If you’ve ever wanted to reduce the amount of admin time you spend answering questions about benefits, holiday allowance, or reviews, an employee handbook could be ideal.
While the phrase ‘employee handbook’ conjures up images of a physical book, nowadays, a Confluence space is the ideal central resource for all key information.
Employee handbooks can be another way to reinforce brand values, develop employees' understanding of the business faster, and reduce admin time.
While the phrase ‘employee handbook’ conjures up images of a physical book, nowadays, a Confluence space is the ideal central resource for all key information.
Employee handbooks can be another way to reinforce brand values, develop employees' understanding of the business faster, and reduce admin time.
The key benefits to an employer:
- Reduces legal risks by showing the policies you have in place
- Consistency improves as standards are set out in the handbook
- One source of truth to refer back to
- Reduces HR queries
- Staff are engaged and informed
The key benefits to an employee:
- All essential information about their place of work is in one place
- They don’t miss out on any benefits or perks
- Accessible online (e.g. through Confluence) anytime it’s needed
- They can get up to speed on the job sooner
Why is an employee handbook needed?
A well-constructed employee handbook means everything is in one place for your employees, whether they want to know about termination, holiday allowance, or performance plans.
Your employee handbook should outline what types of conduct can lead to discipline and detail the penalties for different behaviours, but it also can be an inspiring space where you showcase the vision of the business and its history.
Your employee handbook should outline what types of conduct can lead to discipline and detail the penalties for different behaviours, but it also can be an inspiring space where you showcase the vision of the business and its history.
Are you a Confluence user?
Guided Pathways lets you arrange Confluence pages into tailored guides, so you can create the ultimate employee handbook.
How to write an employee handbook: your step-by-step guide
Step 1. Create a warm introduction
If you aren’t opening with an inspirational ‘hello’ to educate your employees on the vision that drives workplace decisions and inspires them to participate actively in the culture, you are missing a trick!
This is one of the best ways to motivate and inspire new employees.
So, start with storytelling, adding a welcome message to your handbook. It could be your CEO or founder, and you should detail your company culture or vision. This could be a story from the past, a customer quote, or something that epitomises the business values.
Consider:
This is one of the best ways to motivate and inspire new employees.
So, start with storytelling, adding a welcome message to your handbook. It could be your CEO or founder, and you should detail your company culture or vision. This could be a story from the past, a customer quote, or something that epitomises the business values.
Consider:
- Welcome from CEO / founder(s)
- Customer quotes
- Awards and recognition
- Aims and goals
- Company mission
- Company history
- Vision
- Values
- Goals achieved
- Deadlines and future plans
An interactive banner is the perfect place to put special announcements you want everyone to see. It has a key message, a background to make it stand out, and links to more information.
Step 2: Highlight their benefits
It’s been reported that only 57% of employers believe their workforce knows and understands all their benefits, yet ensuring employees understand their entitlements is critical to employee engagement and satisfaction, as more than a fifth say they would move for a better package.
Your handbook should include information about the benefits your company offers.
Consider:
Your handbook should include information about the benefits your company offers.
Consider:
- Payroll details
- Benefits (general)
- Benefits (health)
- Office perks
- Business travel information
- Expense reimbursement policy
- Family friendly policies
- Flexible working policies
- Holiday and leave policies
Step 3: Add your policies
We recommend making a Confluence page that’s visually impactful with various backgrounds and buttons to highlight new content, updates, documents, and external links to your most important issues and policies.
Consider:
Consider:
- Equal opportunities policy/anti-harassment: show compliance with the Quality Act, how to report harassment and promote an inclusive environment.
- Holiday procedure, including entitlement and rules/ procedures.
- Sickness absence procedures (self-certification rules and procedures).
- Health and safety information, both on compliance and how to create a safe working environment.
- IT policy for all devices, including Wi-Fi and personal use, loss, damage, or inappropriate use, password security, and business security.
- Social media policy (details of what is considered appropriate/inappropriate activity).
- Code of conduct and expectations for employee behaviour, covering attendance, communication, and dress code.
- Review and promotions procedure: explain the performance review process and criteria for raises and promotions, setting clear expectations.
- New hire and separation procedures: clarify onboarding and offboarding processes to avoid disputes and ensure a smooth transition.
This list is inconclusive, so speak to your advisors about what you need and don't make generic versions. Ensure that you customise each policy to your workplace.
Step 4: Complete with the finer details
Who are the team members behind the business? Who is connected to who, and where do new employees sit in the hierarchy? With all the legal stuff out the way and a warm intro, finishing your employee handbook with details of the people within the business is a great idea.
- Show departments, org charts and/or individuals.
- You can use Confluence Cards to showcase everyone across your organisation.
- Add a picture and a title for each person
- Ensure you have included essential information employees need to access quickly, such as office addresses, direct dials, and phone numbers.
Tips for writing your employee handbook
Creating an employee handbook that is both informative and engaging is a hard task! Here are some tips to help you craft an effective employee handbook.
- Set a positive, professional tone: Use welcoming and clear language to create a handbook that is easy to read and relatable.
- Simplify legal terms: Avoid complex legal jargon. Instead, explain necessary legal concepts in simple terms. You can always add links so employees can find more information, so keep it simple. This also means less changing of the handbook in line with legal updates.
- Document employee acknowledgements: You may also want to keep signed acknowledgements from employees confirming they've read and understood the handbook or use a tickbox system to show they’ve understood the policies.
- Provide clear contact information: Include contact details of a company representative who can answer questions about the handbook. This can be included in the details of teams and individuals, but it’s also good practice to detail this elsewhere.
- Communicate updates promptly: Keep the handbook up-to-date and quickly inform employees of any changes. Regular updates help maintain the relevance of the information provided and make it a place employees visit frequently instead of simply emailing HR.
- Add a disclaimer: You may also want to add a disclaimer to ensure employees understand that the handbook does not constitute an employment contract. Making it non-contractual means that the policies are not taken as an exhaustive list, so they can be added to or changed over time without the need to update contracts.
How to make your employee handbook essential reading
As you can see, an employee handbook is the best way to set employee expectations, communicate company policies, and convey a positive work culture in a single document.
So… how do you make your employee handbook essential reading?
Well, short of popping a copy under their pillow, you need to remind them of the benefits they’ll get by absorbing it all!
Remind them that the employee handbook offers everything they need to take advantage of annual leave perks, and guidance on how to work effectively, safely, and harmoniously.
You can also ask for their feedback and tell them you’ll ask for their thoughts in a week or so. You’ll potentially receive extra ways to make it even better, as well as get them to read it!
So… how do you make your employee handbook essential reading?
Well, short of popping a copy under their pillow, you need to remind them of the benefits they’ll get by absorbing it all!
Remind them that the employee handbook offers everything they need to take advantage of annual leave perks, and guidance on how to work effectively, safely, and harmoniously.
You can also ask for their feedback and tell them you’ll ask for their thoughts in a week or so. You’ll potentially receive extra ways to make it even better, as well as get them to read it!
Apps that help you do more in Confluence
Our apps help your Confluence handbook stand out, aiding users to read and remember important company information.
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Written by
Elaine Keep
Content Writer
Elaine has established herself as a respected authority in the HR industry and uses her experience gained as the head of marketing in the employee rewards and recognition software sector to inform her reporting.
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