Employee Handbook and Operating Policy Manual Template Bundle
A collection of over 50 templates of the most common policy topics for both new and existing employees, and an assortment of documents covering the management areas of Personnel, Accounting, Purchasing, Inventory, Manufacturing, and more.
Now you can save time and money by purchasing your own set of documents which will enable you to introduce a wide ranging set of policies and procedures in a fairly short period of time, and commence reaping the benefits immediately.
What should my Manual cover?
It should cover most significant human resource activity within the company. It is nearly impossible for the initial manual to contain absolutely everything, over time you should add more policies or procedures as time and importance necessitates. Getting started with an initial set for a department or number of departments is strongly advised.
What other categories of Policies might I add over time? Once you have established a foundation by implementing the basic subject topics covered in your manual, you can add individual policies or procedures at any time, or optionally at later stages, you can also commence outlining how your organizations human resource strategy will integrate with your overall business strategy. You may wish to define the organizational design in order to position your company for success, including an Employee Retention Plan which indicates how your organization will retain and motivate its employees, or outline a Performance Management procedure which will manage the performance of its employees.
Once I receive my policy manual template, how do I customize it to suit our company? Review the number of policies and procedures you plan to implement, and then review each one for any information you wish to remove, add or change. The documents have been fairly well developed and require you to perform some basic word replacements with the use of MS-WORD, (i.e. substituting your company name for the pseudo name we inserted, and date[s] if applicable). In effect you are customizing the template documents to your specific company circumstances.
Once the manual is completed, the documents are printed and simply insert them into a titled binder, or your personal preference may be to send it to a printing shop for slick, professional packaging, or post them on your intranet.
How do I make our manual legally binding in our State or Province? The great majority of policies and procedures are generic in content and will apply to any and all jurisdictions, however, topics such as minimum wage, and working conditions should be specific to the territory. Some companies insert a simple, general statement at the introduction of the manual, that states that their manual is supplementary to applicable federal laws and/or collective agreement(s) [if applicable]. Many companies have their existing employees sign a form acknowledging they have read the handbook and shall abide by the guidelines, and for new employees at the commencement of their employment.
Management should always reserve the right to (a) make changes in the policies at any time and at its sole discretion, and (b) interpret and administer the policies in light of changing circumstances and events.
Who should be involved or participate with developing our company's manual? Depending on the knowledge level of individuals, it can be developed by just one individual, or with a small team including a senior executive or manager. An external review should be sought to review the Policy Manual to ensure that nothing is missing, and none of the policies contravene Employment Standards legislation.
For whom are these meant for? Generally speaking, an Employee Handbook is the basic employee communications document for all employees. While the Policy Manual is meant for managers and supervisors, it is not for all employees. A Policy Manual (as opposed to an employee handbook) should state clearly that it is meant for supervisors and not for others.
Are these binding documents or contracts? Employers may run their organizations in any way they want to--except as limited by law or contract. Policies must exist within the framework of the various federal and state laws governing employment. In the case of a lawsuit, a written policy may be very useful to an employee or an employer-as long as it has been consistently followed. Courts tend to watch for consistency.
However, more often courts have found that a manual meant only for supervisors--and not intended to be seen by nonsupervisory employees--cannot be the basis for a contract action. Some states have passed laws that make employment promises or consistently followed practices and procedures de facto contracts, binding on the employer.
Should policies be written? Yes, especially with the existence or anticipation of internal conflicts over policy application, new supervisors or managers, management changes or reorganization, and if the company is expected to improve on results as well as intending to grow, policies need to be written down. Unwritten policies may lead to misunderstandings and poor morale, as well as charges of favoritism or discrimination.
Written policies cut down on the number of redundant questions. Repetitively calling HR to find out the bereavement or vacation policy is a waste of productive time for both managers and the human resources professionals when it is readily available in writing. Many companies today are taking measures to post these documents on their own intranets.
It should cover most significant human resource activity within the company. It is nearly impossible for the initial manual to contain absolutely everything, over time you should add more policies or procedures as time and importance necessitates. Getting started with an initial set for a department or number of departments is strongly advised.What other categories of Policies might I add over time? Once you have established a foundation by implementing the basic subject topics covered in your manual, you can add individual policies or procedures at any time, or optionally at later stages, you can also commence outlining how your organizations human resource strategy will integrate with your overall business strategy. You may wish to define the organizational design in order to position your company for success, including an Employee Retention Plan which indicates how your organization will retain and motivate its employees, or outline a Performance Management procedure which will manage the performance of its employees.
Once I receive my policy manual template, how do I customize it to suit our company? Review the number of policies and procedures you plan to implement, and then review each one for any information you wish to remove, add or change. The documents have been fairly well developed and require you to perform some basic word replacements with the use of MS-WORD, (i.e. substituting your company name for the pseudo name we inserted, and date[s] if applicable). In effect you are customizing the template documents to your specific company circumstances.
Once the manual is completed, the documents are printed and simply insert them into a titled binder, or your personal preference may be to send it to a printing shop for slick, professional packaging, or post them on your intranet.
How do I make our manual legally binding in our State or Province? The great majority of policies and procedures are generic in content and will apply to any and all jurisdictions, however, topics such as minimum wage, and working conditions should be specific to the territory. Some companies insert a simple, general statement at the introduction of the manual, that states that their manual is supplementary to applicable federal laws and/or collective agreement(s) [if applicable]. Many companies have their existing employees sign a form acknowledging they have read the handbook and shall abide by the guidelines, and for new employees at the commencement of their employment.
Management should always reserve the right to (a) make changes in the policies at any time and at its sole discretion, and (b) interpret and administer the policies in light of changing circumstances and events.
Who should be involved or participate with developing our company's manual? Depending on the knowledge level of individuals, it can be developed by just one individual, or with a small team including a senior executive or manager. An external review should be sought to review the Policy Manual to ensure that nothing is missing, and none of the policies contravene Employment Standards legislation.
For whom are these meant for? Generally speaking, an Employee Handbook is the basic employee communications document for all employees. While the Policy Manual is meant for managers and supervisors, it is not for all employees. A Policy Manual (as opposed to an employee handbook) should state clearly that it is meant for supervisors and not for others.
Are these binding documents or contracts? Employers may run their organizations in any way they want to--except as limited by law or contract. Policies must exist within the framework of the various federal and state laws governing employment. In the case of a lawsuit, a written policy may be very useful to an employee or an employer-as long as it has been consistently followed. Courts tend to watch for consistency.
However, more often courts have found that a manual meant only for supervisors--and not intended to be seen by nonsupervisory employees--cannot be the basis for a contract action. Some states have passed laws that make employment promises or consistently followed practices and procedures de facto contracts, binding on the employer.
Should policies be written? Yes, especially with the existence or anticipation of internal conflicts over policy application, new supervisors or managers, management changes or reorganization, and if the company is expected to improve on results as well as intending to grow, policies need to be written down. Unwritten policies may lead to misunderstandings and poor morale, as well as charges of favoritism or discrimination.
Written policies cut down on the number of redundant questions. Repetitively calling HR to find out the bereavement or vacation policy is a waste of productive time for both managers and the human resources professionals when it is readily available in writing. Many companies today are taking measures to post these documents on their own intranets.