Having from a handful to a hundred employees performing various jobs, it is important to define functions, procedures and policies that contribute to smooth operations and a healthy, harmonious working environment.

Create a Well-Written Employee Handbook

Create a Comprehensive Handbook

An Employee Handbook is a small investment that would provide you long-term rewards. It helps boost employee morale, reinforce productive behavior, and maintain business standards. An Employee Handbook is important in setting expectations between the employer and the employee, ensuring that they meet eye to eye, and to prevent misunderstandings involving work, compensation, standards, behavior, and overall performance.

Write a Detailed Employee Policies and Procedures

There are many business templates for Word that you can use for making an Employee Handbook. This particular article will give you insight on how to create an employee handbook that will standardize all aspects of operations and business practices concerning your employees.

Update:

Note: The below link has been updated with links to alternative handbook templates, since the template shown in this post has been removed by Microsoft.

You can download the Free Employee Handbook Template for Word that you can use as a guide in creating your own for your company.

Standardize Policies and Procedures

A good, well-written Employee Handbook that any business in any industry can use usually contains a Title Page where you can find the company logo and company name. It is followed by a Table of Contents that can also give you an idea of the contents of the Handbook.

Define Standards of Conduct for Employee Performance and Behavior

You Handbook usually starts with an Introduction that gives new employees a background about your company, as well as the History, Mission and Vision. It should also include Employee Definition and Status, and Employment Policies. The Policies normally include tenets relating to government laws, acts and other mandatories related to employment and labor. Policies can also include business-specific rules on safety, security and employment data.

A Standard Employee Handbook should also include Standards of Conduct which are requirements for employee behavior such as Attendance, Schedule, Dress Code, Ethical Standards, Smoking Policy, Complaint and Corrective Procedures, and many more.

Create a Well-Written Employee Handbook

This Handbook Template contains an Acknowledgment Page where employees can sign their name and date of receipt of the handbook. This is proof that the handbook was given for employees to read and practice. You can also include an Appendix wherein you can include other supporting documents for your handbook.