The days of believing that a handbook can cause more harm than
good are long gone. In today's business environment, a handbook
serves both as a sword to carve out your legal rights as well as a
shield to protect them.
A handbook sets expectations, encourages employees to behave in
certain ways, helps ensure that employees are treated consistently,
publicizes employee benefits, and helps win unemployment claims and
lawsuits. These are just a few of the reasons why every employer,
regardless of the number of employees, should have one.
Establishing Some Baseline Expectations
Employees expect their employer to communicate with them in a
straightforward, professional way about all sorts of things. Just
having a handbook demonstrates that you understand employees'
needs for information – and it can go a long way toward
making a positive first impression on a new employee.
