The Importance Of An Easy To Read Employee Handbook

Before I began my HR career, I had the opportunity to supervise 13 women. Although I embraced our sensitivities as a strength, sometimes the conversations would lean a little too much towards the personal side. In other words, they had the tendency to take it personally.

To this day, I don’t know why I always referred to the Company Policy Manual BEFORE calling the HR Employee Relations advisor to resolve my departmental issues. Very few supervisors have ever looked first before calling me as HR Manager. Little did I know, this position did not exist with my employer and that person would soon be me!

Once I became an HR professional, I quickly became aware of one thing... Enforcing compliance preventatively is essential to creating a compliance rich workplace. But how do we do that when most employee handbooks need a lawyer’s education to properly decipher it? That’s why we help companies create proper compliance training as well as easy to read employee handbooks that in turn will make staying in compliance second nature.

Any employee should be able to pick up the employee handbook and find the solution to their problem or at least know whom to consult when/if a situation arises. If we couple this with proper compliance training, the company also builds trust between employee and employer because both parties get the opportunity to communicate and understand what is to be expected of them.

Compliance policies are some of the most important building blocks of any company. Ensuring employees are following the laws, regulations, standards, and ethical practices of your company should be a top priority.

Do you have an employee handbook or policy manual? If yes, do your supervisors and employees understand it? If not, who is it intended for? These questions can help you gauge whether or not your organization is creating a safe and preventative atmosphere for both employee and employer.

Don’t let your employees take it personally. Set up a consult with one of our dynamic HR professionals so we can help you create an effective compliance package.