Staff Handbook - So What?

Whilst the existence of a Staff Handbook is certainly an essential tool for employers, there is little benefit in having a manual if it is simply going to remain on your shelf gathering dust. If you have a Staff Handbook in place then, for heaven's sake, use it! These are the harsh words recently delivered by the UK's Employment Appeal Tribunal in Blackburn v Aldi Stores Ltd.

FACTS

In this case, the well-known chain of stores with responsibility for employing a large workforce had, quite reasonably, very detailed internal policies and procedures in place that governed the working relationship between management and staff; these policies were clearly laid out in an extensive Staff Handbook which was presented to new staff on joining. So far so good!