Is Your Employee Handbook Cool?

     Like them or not, employee handbooks are an important part
     of the employer/employee relationship. They outline policies
     and practices, set expectations, and provide employees with   
     useful information for navigating the organization.    
     Unfortunately, most employee handbooks are boring, difficult
     to understand, and sometimes read like bad instructions for
     prefab furniture. This discourages employees from reading
     them, thus rendering them useless until it’s time to hold
​     someone accountable to work policies.
 
Who ever said that employee handbooks had to be constructed this way? Why can’t they be more appealing, fun, creative, etc.? The answer is, they can! Employee handbooks should be a reflection of your organization, its culture, its personality, and its language. Think of them as a living document—the spokesperson of the organization. What should that person be like? What’s their tone, language choice, etc.?

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While employee handbooks serve a legal purpose, they can be as cool as your culture too! According to Beth Zoller, a legal editor with XpertHR specializing in employee handbooks, work rules and employee conduct, it's best if the handbook is designed with both reasons in mind. She recommended the following ways an organization can create a handbook that is both cool and compliant:

• Make it fun and engaging. Companies should consider illustrating workplace rules using hypothetical situations, practical examples, anecdotes and narratives. A conversational tone can help draw an employee in and make it more interesting to read.
• Use colors and visuals. Pictures, graphics and whimsical fonts can play a role in creating a handbook that is easier to read and understand.
• Communicate workplace culture. Convey more than rules and policies; include the employer's core values, culture, mission and brand, and expectations for its workforce. The handbook can provide a glimpse of what life is like at the organization and tie the handbook to its brand.
• Explain the "why" behind workplace rules. In order to have employees follow workplace rules and fully understand them, it is important that employees see the reasoning behind them, which may motivate compliance. 
• Include required notifications. While compiling an employee handbook that is more engaging, an employer should not forget to provide any required notices that may be critical for legal compliance and to protect the employer's interest. This may include entries on topics such as employee leave, reasonable accommodation or harassment.
• Remember it can be considered a legal document. Even if the employer chooses to create a fun and cool employee handbook, it should not lose sight of the fact that an employee handbook is a legal document. Certain policies are necessary to protect the employer's interest and may need to be relied on in case of a lawsuit. 

 
So…is your employee handbook cool or is it time for refresh it to truly represent your company and its culture. InvigorateHR can help!

Written by Jeremy York, SPHR
jeremy@invigoratehr.com