Basics of Employee Handbooks
Written by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008.
Adapted from the Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision
.
(This document is referenced from Employee Handbooks.)
Document all intended policies and procedures and collect them in a policies and procedures manual. Having all policies and procedures in a manual facilitates training about them to all employees. All employees should have read the manual to understand and accept its contents. They should sign a form indicating so, and provide the signed form to the organization's administrator.
All supervisors should be trained about the policies and procedures. A large number of suits brought against organizations is because, although the organizations had clear policies, supervisors did not enact the policies because they did not understand them. Note that courts may consider policies and procedures as superseded by the actual behaviors displayed by supervisors.
The board should authorize all policies in the manual and every employee should receive a copy of the manual.
Each policy should include wording to the effect that the policies are for general guidance in the relationships between staff and the agency, the board has authorized the policy, that policies can be changed at any time and that the policies do not constitute a contract between the organization and the employee. Consider the following wording on the cover of your policies manual:
"Nothing contained in or implied by this manual creates or shall be deemed to create or constitute a contractual obligation to employees on the part (of the organization). The policies, procedures and guidelines contained in this manual are subject to change at any time, do not confer any obligation (on the part of the organization) and do not create any right to employment on the part (of the organization)."
For the Category of Human Resources:
Related Library Topics
Recommended Books
For-Profit
Field
Guide to Leadership and Supervision in Business
- by Carter McNamara, published by Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Provides step-by-step, highly practical guidelines to recruit and retain the best employees for your business. Research shows that employee turnover is often the result of poor supervision -- this book shows you how to supervise employees so that the needs of both the business and its emplyees are always being met. Includes tips and tools to effectively lead yourself, other individuals, groups and organizations. Also includes guidelines to avoid burnout -- a very common problem, especially among employees of small businesses.
The following books are recommended because of their highly practical nature and often because they include a wide range of information about this Library topic. To get more information about each book, just hover your cursor over the image of the book. A "bubble" of information will be displayed. You can click on the title of the book in that bubble to get more information, too.
Nonprofit
Field
Guide to Leadership and Supervision With Nonprofit Staff
- by Carter McNamara, published by Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Provides step-by-step, highly practical guidelines to recruit and retain the best staff members for your nonprofit. Includes guidelines to effectively lead yourself (as a Board member or a staff member), other individuals, groups and the nonprofit organizations. Includes guidelines to avoid burnout -- a very common problem among nonprofit staff. Explains how to cultivate a strong relationship between the Board and Execuive Director. This book is customized to nature and needs of nonprofits having extremely limited resources.
The following books are recommended because of their highly practical nature and often because they include a wide range of information about this Library topic. To get more information about each book, just hover your cursor over the image of the book. A "bubble" of information will be displayed. You can click on the title of the book in that bubble to get more information, too.
Also See
Personal Development -- Recommended Books
Personal Productivity -- Recommended Books
Personal Wellness -- Recommended Books
Supervision -- Recommended Books
Training and Development -- Recommended Books
