Tips for Writing a Policy Manual by Heather Zappacosta

An Employee Policy Manual is a vital management tool which communicates rules and expectations to employees. A good Employee Policy Manual would address issues of employment, health and safety in the workplace as well as employee theft. Although the contents of the Employee Policy Manual will vary from business to business, all should contain the following main sections:

1. Employee Code. Outline basic elements such as working hours, vacation time, salary and benefits, overtime, orientation procedures, and performance evaluations. Also, include coverage of customer handling and other issues that arise during the normal course of the workday. Include job descriptions in this section as well.

2. Employee Misconduct.Include description of how employee misconduct will be addressed, including issues such as tardiness, persistent lateness, or employee theft.

3. Sexual Misconduct. Even small and startup businesses are advised to include a policy item outlining behaviors that are not acceptable within the workplace. Primarily designed to protect women in the workplace, these policies also advance strong guidelines to mitigate the occurrence of sexual misconduct in the work environment.

4. Heath & Safety Guidelines.When employees share in the responsibility for health and safety issues, the entire business benefits. Guidelines must comply with applicable local, provincial and federal legislation.

5. Internet Policy. Include mention of appropriate Internet and email usage. Be sure to specify that employees may not use company email or other Internet components to conduct illegal activities, or to access or distribute pornography or copyrighted materials, such as the popular MP3 music files. Should you ever find yourself in court defending your business because an employee has used your email system to send threatening or harassing emails, an Internet Policy will be to your benefit.

Many other important issues can be addressed in the manual as well. By having an Employee Policy Manual, employers are being proactive. It is important to do this so that when something negative does happen, the employer will already know how to deal with it. It is also good because employees will know exactly what is expected of them, and they will know what is considered unacceptable in their particular office. Employees should be required to read the manual.

Works Cited

Campbell, June. "Tips for Writing an Employee Policy Manual." Business Writing by Nightcats

Multimedia Productions. http://www.nightcats.com/samples/manual.html.