When you hire new employees, how do you make sure they are made aware of policies and procedures within the company? How do you make sure they know what is expected of them as an employee within your company? The Company Handbook is how.
Important topics to be covered in the Handbook vary depending on your business, but all employers are required to have certain policies such as an Non-Discrimination Policy, a Harassment Policy, and a Workplace Violence Policy. The Handbook should also set out the compliant procedure, inform of any benefit programs, scheduling vacation days, performance review, cell phones and internet use in the workplace, in addition to any dress codes within your company. These are just a few of a number of topics that should be set out.
Everything that an employee will need to know should be contained within that Handbook. Additionally, you will want to make sure the employee signs an Acknowledgment that they have read and understood the Handbook so that there is no misunderstanding if the relationship is terminated later on.
The Employee Handbook is just as important as having new employees sign Employment Contracts. This can protect your Company from any issues down the road if an employee attempts to claim that they were not aware of a company policy.
Creating an Employee Handbook can be time consuming, but once it’s done, it is just a matter of updating required sections like updating the Ministry of Labour poster that was released on January 1, 2018.
Christine Allan
Law Clerk