Is your employee handbook up to date?

When you’re focused on growing your business, it can be easy to overlook your legal obligations to your employees. It may not be a problem for larger firms as they have HR teams in place, however with small businesses it’s often left to management, meaning it can fall to the bottom of the list. That’s where getting an employee handbook in good shape can help. Employee policies and legislation may change over time, as will the shape and size of your business, which is why it’s important to review your employee handbook to check it’s fit for purpose. An employee handbook should bring together in one document all the information – legal and otherwise – that you need to communicate to your employees. The employee handbook should begin with an introduction to the company, setting out your organisation’s aims and ethos along with explaining your company’s employment policies. The handbook should include essential information on your company policies, health and safety, data protection, holidays, sick leave and many other important matters. The information must be up to date to keep up with an legislation changes. An employee handbook protects businesses against employee lawsuits and claims such as discrimination, wrongful termination or any other HR issues. It also plays a vital role in introducing a new employee to the culture and values of a company, while outlining what is expected of them in their new role. When to get help Often starting with a handful of policies, an employee handbook will have policies added over time as the business evolves or grows in size. For some businesses, they may already have a handbook in place which hasn’t been reviewed in a long time. If this is the case, it’s worth employing a solicitor to review the current handbook and to help update any policies which may be out of date. At Accounts and Legal we offer a range of advice on finance and taxation for small businesses, along with a team of qualified lawyers who specialise in legal services and advice for small businesses. Our team are fully conversant with current employment law and can help you review or update your existing employee handbook or produce a new handbook from scratch, customised to your business. To get in touch with our legal team, contact our Legal Director Rachel Duncan, R.duncan@accountasandlegal.com.