Policies and Handbooks

Amazingly enough, many small businesses don’t have an employee handbook. Such a document is critical to help employees understand what is expected of them and to help protect employees/employers if a legal issue arises. What should be included in that document? The content usually varies depending on the type of business; however, common areas include rules and policies that forbid sexual harassment. The use of drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes should also be covered in the document, including specifying where and when employees may smoke, if at all. E-mail and Internet abuse is on the rise. So you’ll probably want to add a policy addressing whether your computers can be used for personal e-communication. And don’t forget to add your policy on performance reviews. Your employees will want to know your performance criteria and when to expect a review.