Trugreen employee handbook
New employees can’t wait to read about their benefits so why bury them in the back of the book? We recommend that the benefits section of your handbook be placed right in the front of the manual.
One of the first things a typical new employee wants to know is, "How do I advance at this company?" To help manage this expectation, you’ll want to include a section with policies related to internal growth and development including, for example, performance appraisals, internal and external training, educational assistance, advancement opportunities, performance and anniversary rewards and others.īenefits. Of course, there are other legal disclaimers that may be necessary to add depending on your company’s size and circumstances.Įmployee Development.
You’ll also want to ensure that you communicate to your employees that nothing in the handbook constitutes a contract and that you have the right to modify, change or revoke any or all of the contents at any time. This section explains the purpose of the document and usually includes a brief history of the organization, a welcome letter from the president or owner, your mission or business philosophy and a policy outlining the nature of the employment relationship including all of the necessary and appropriate disclaimers.įor example, you should explain that all employees are employed "at-will" (that is, you have the right to let employees go at any time, for any or no reason, with or without notice and, likewise, they have the right to leave your organization at any time, for any or no reason, with or without notice) and you should include a paragraph explaining that the handbook supercedes any and all previous related statements or documents. There’s too much of a risk.Ī properly written handbook should include the following sections and policies: Your handbook should be unique to your organization and should effectively capture and communicate your style, your culture and your business philosophy - not your buddy’s. One of the biggest mistakes a company can make is implementing a handbook written by a fellow employer/friend from an entirely different business. A typical handbook is between 30 to 40 pages in length and because of unique differences among industries, companies, state regulations and laws that are based on company size and type, contrary to popular belief - one size does not fit all. Most handbooks today are formatted in sections, with each section addressing critical employment policies and practices. Everyday managers make a myriad of employment-related decisions - I don’t know how a business can operate without a well-written handbook. They can save management time, promote consistency and fair treatment of employees and, most importantly, help meet the burden of proof. On the other hand, policies that are clearly worded and compliant and that are written in an easy-to-read style with a positive, direct tone are invaluable. Policies that are outdated, confusing, punitive or non-compliant could land you in a legal mine field.
#Trugreen employee handbook professional
Or better yet - ask a professional to do so for you. When was the last time you analyzed your company’s policies? If it has been a while, you may want to take a close, hard look at them. Worse yet are the cases with documentation - the kind that actually works against the employer - like outdated policies, poorly worded reprimands and employee handbooks or employer-drafted rules that violate employment regulations.
Often what was lacking was some type of clear, convincing documentation like a written warning, policy, job description or handbook receipt. So what’s an employer to do? Many times, even though a termination was indeed legitimate, necessary and non-discriminatory, a government agency has ruled to the contrary. In other words, the burden of proof is on you, the employer - and if you cannot meet this burden of proof, government agencies like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will automatically assume you are guilty of violating one of their regulations.ĭOCUMENTATION. In fact, by now, most employers have learned that there’s a huge caveat to one of the few, but important, rights that they do have - the right to exercise "employment-at-will." In reality, while you may have the legal right to let an employee go at any time with or without notice, you must be able to prove through documentation that the reason for the separation (termination or layoff) was job-related and non-discriminatory. Let’s face it - as an employer, you don’t have many "rights" left anymore.