Although there are no laws, state or federal, which require companies to have an employee handbook, there are state and federal laws requiring the presence of written employment policies. And if legal compliance isn’t incentive enough for having an employee handbook, there are other benefits as well. An employee handbook helps to explain the advantages and benefits of working for your company, as well as clarifies important company policies and problem-solving procedures. Not having this type of communication source available to your workforce can taint employee impressions of your company and may contribute to legal liability. Pretty effective for a 50 or so page document, huh?

After spending the time creating an employee handbook, it would be a waste to just let it sit on the shelf. Employers risk liability if they do not periodically review and revise their handbook. Regularly updating your handbook will help to ensure that it remains compliant with applicable laws and that it is still meeting your needs.

Below are come guidelines for effectively revising and maintaining your employee handbook:

1. Gauge employee reactions. After introducing a handbook to your employees, you should pay attention to how employees react to specific policies, whether the procedures within the handbook are effective in resolving employee concerns and whether there are issues that have arisen not covered by the handbook. This will be powerful for determining your revision needs.
2. Establish an approval process for revisions. Determine who is authorized to make changes to the employee handbook and who must approve such changes. You will also need to think about how you will communicate any handbook revisions to your employees.
3. Consider changes within your company. Consider recent changes that have taken place within your organization. For instance, have performance review procedures changed, have you recently started using direct deposit for employee paychecks, or have you recently introduced certain employee benefits? Changes such as these affect policy language. If company procedures have changed, make sure you alter related policies.
4. Monitor changes in labor laws. Not only is it necessary to review your handbook periodically to ensure company practices are aligned with company policy, but also to guarantee that policies are consistent with applicable laws. We all know that laws change regularly, and although these changes are difficult to predict, businesses need to stay acutely aware of what is going on around them and how regulations affect their business practices and company policies. Keep abreast of changes by letting HR411â support you. Federal and state-specific legal updates will let you know what changes in labor laws have occurred and how they affect your business operationally. Also, with our State & Federal Labor Laws database, you can research hundreds of employment laws applicable to your state.
5. Use your words carefully. Make sure that any revisions to your handbook do not use contractual or promissory language. Words such as “will” or “always” should be avoided as much as possible. In addition, when making any adjustments to your handbook, do not simplify its contents too much. By doing so, you may be eliminating important language intended to demonstrate your company’s compliance with certain laws.
6. Appropriately inform employees of changes. Try to give employees as much notice as possible before a policy change goes into affect, allowing them time to adjust to any major changes. When a change does occur, you should take all necessary steps in communicating those changes to your workforce: send memos, post notices in common areas, and discuss the changes at staff meetings.
7. Request additional acknowledgments. After any changes have been introduced to the employee handbook it is necessary to again require employees to sign an acknowledgment form verifying they have read and understand the policy change. Remember to keep the signed document in their personnel file.

Creating an employee handbook is only the first step toward a more efficient workplace. The employee handbook won’t do much good if it’s not maintained. In fact, an outdated handbook can actually be more detrimental than no handbook at all. Use the tips found above to periodically review your handbook, ensure compliance with current labor laws, and secure efficiency within your workplace.

For handbook maintenance assistance, check out the HR411 Employee Handbook Wizard.