b'Employee HandbooksWho, What, Why . . . Whodoesitapplyto:Itisuptoyou. Abusinesswithtwo Performance and Discipline. Consistency in these areas employeesmightbenefitfromanemployeehandbook.Aisimportanttoprotectagainstdiscriminationclaims. business with 100 might function fine without one. There are noEmployers should lay out their disciplinary policy so there legal rules about when a handbook must be created. are no questions about the employers rights to terminate. Irecommendleavingyourselftherighttoterminatefor Can I do it myself: Yes, certainly, but there are many pitfalls andany issue if you feel it is important rather than using a many things to consider. Whatever an employer does, it mustregimented progressive policy.be careful to make policies that are consistent with its practices, Privacy. Make sure employees know that you can install and, of course, the law. Nothing is worse than downloadingvideo cameras and search anywhere you like, including something off the Internet that might follow the laws of anothertheir desks, phones, and company email accounts.state but is inconsistent with your goals and practices. WorkersComp.Whetheryouareasubscriberornot, What policies should I include: That also is up to you, but I wouldconsider addressing what employees need to do if they consider these the most important: are injured on the job. You have legal obligations to reportDiscrimination, Harassment, Disability, and EEO. The mostinjuries within a certain period, whether you are covered by legally significant issue a small business can address is thethe act or not.prohibition of discrimination among employees. Some of ExceptionsandRevisions.Alwaysreservetherightto the discrimination laws dont kick in until an employer hasmake changes without warning and clarify that there may 15 or 20 employees, but at least one kicks in with just onebe policies of the business which are not covered by the employee. The policy needs to address both the prohibitionhandbook.and reporting.Wage Deductions. Clarify in advance what deductions mayHolidays,Vacation,Sick,orPTO.Thisissueisnotasbe made from pay so employees cannot cry foul. Examples legallysignificantasitispracticallyimportant. Thefirstinclude uniforms, damage to company property, theft, and couple of employees may be handled one way, but after arepayment of loans.while, many businesses seem to struggle with consistency. What else should I address: Beyond these key topics the secondFamilyMedicalLeave. Thistopicisonlythirdbecausetier policies are:it doesnt apply to a business with under 50 employees. Military Leave. It is important to let employees know you Family medical leave is complicated to get right, and afollowthelawregardingtimeofffordeploymentorfor written policy is the first step toward doing so. National Guard or Reserve duty. Employee Dating. This is always a hot topic. I generally Benefits. Provide an explanation of the types of benefits recommend employees not be permitted to fraternize andyou offer employees, including insurance and 401(k).insist that supervisors, at least, not be permitted to date subordinates.Bereavement. Let employees know what they can expect if they lose a relative: who are they entitled to take time offEmployment At-will. If you employ people on an at-will basisfor and how much time.(see the section on this topic) it is important to confirm that nothing in the handbook creates a contract of employment for a period of time and that all employees are still at-will unless otherwise notified in writing.73'