What is the most important part of an employee handbook?
This was the topic of conversation at our Wednesday leadership team meeting, seen here at the beach.
We all agreed: The most important page in your employee handbook is what SHOULD be the last page- the Employee Acknowledgement.
The employee acknowledgment page is evidence, when signed, that the employee has read the manual. Although the person may not have read a single word (except maybe the PTO and payday policies), the acknowledgment they sign states that they have read the handbook and agree to comply.
No matter what policies are in your handbook, without this acknowledgment, you don’t have a leg to stand on in the event of a wrongful termination or unemployment claim. If the employee is not required to sign this document, and you don’t keep it, then it becomes their word of “I didn’t KNOW that was a policy” against yours. In most scenarios, the onus is on the employer to prove that their actions were the right ones. Having this handbook acknowledgment is how you win this battle.
Our handbooks contain a thorough acknowledgment page. Depending on your state, a handbook template may also include meal period and other waivers in accordance with state laws. Check them out in our HR Starter Kits here.
NEW PRODUCT RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT! We are excited to announce that on Tuesday, March 8th, you'll be able to purchase Employee Handbook templates for several specific states, including California, Oregon, Washington, and New York! Yay! We'll post more information next week!