choose a type of fictitious business and draft an outline listing and describing 5 important policies that should be included in a standard employee handbook for this business. In the handbook, provide the purpose of the handbook and then list, define, and describe these 5 policies including the primary employer/employee responsibilities and duties to one another. Finally, explain why the selected policies are applicable to this particular business.
You may use an existing template from the internet, but you must modify the template and the selected policies to the business that you chose. Consequently, you must describe and apply each policy to your chosen business in a specific and meaningful way which displays original work using your own words.
*While you may use a sample template you might locate on the Internet – you must rewrite any sample or template (citing your sources) using your own words. DO NOT SIMPLY CUT AND PASTE TEXT FROM THE INTERNET.
*Cite any of your sources and references for the outline in an attached reference page.
An employee handbook is a vital resource for both the employer and the employee. It provides guidance on an employer’s standards and objectives relating to various employee activities and employment-related matters. It should include a company’s policies and practices as well as an overview of the expectations of management.
It is viewed as a means of protecting against discrimination or unfair treatment claims. It should be easily accessible to all employees.
Employers should require every employee to provide an acknowledgment of having received the handbook. The acknowledgment should be saved in an employee’s personnel file as a way for the organization to establish that the employee was made aware of the policies.
Step 1: Create an outline for your business type by identifying, describing and elaborating on 5 important policies (i.e. the ethical and legal policies and procedures) to include in a well-drafted Employee Handbook.
The employee handbook should include a statement that summarizes each policy and procedure for the outlined topics/policies that you listed above. The statements should be easy to read—in other words, they should be understandable to employees and drafted accordingly.
Some important topics/policies included in an employee handbook include:
Company culture, values, mission statement
Company policies – on-boarding, dress code, code of conduct, internet/social media policy, compensation/benefits, work hours, confidentiality policies, workplace safety
Legal rights and obligations regarding the employer – employee relationship
Equal employment opportunity statement
Commitment to diversity and inclusion statement
Implementation of accommodations for those with disabilities
Anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies
Other important factors to consider are federal and state laws that affect employees, such as:
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) anti-discrimination laws
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
If an employer fails to communicate these in the employee handbook, it increases the potential for noncompliance with the laws.
Step 2: Attach a reference page of your sources and references (This does not count towards the page length requirement.)
Use of References/Sources: Use primary, legitimate sources for your handbook template and research (i.e. major legal/business websites (i.e. Legal Zoom), newspapers, journals, books, etc.). Some examples are Newsweek, N.Y. Times, Washington Post, Forbes, BusinessWeek, etc. If you have any concern whether a source is legitimate then either check with the instructor, campus librarian, or do not use it. Do not use Wikipedia as a primary source.
