In the last few weeks, we have received more and more questions as to what additional provisions should be included in an Employee Manual, over and above the “standard” provisions. As a result, outlined below are nine provisions which should be included in every Employee Manual.
1 Employee Recruitment: This provision should include where to advertise for employees, how to write job advertisements, how to prepare effective job descriptions, proper interview techniques, as well as sample interview questions.
2 Office Policies: This provision should focus on establishing office policies and procedures in order to introduce new staff to your practice, as well as provide ground-rules and practice philosophy.
3 Employment Policies: With this provision, you should establish guidelines for personal appearance, sexual harassment, and substance abuse. In addition, an employee manual should also outline the use of cell phones and social media within the practice and outside of the practice.
4 Employee Training: Your office manual should establish employee training techniques from OSHA and HIPAA, where mandatory.
5 Employee Benefits: Every employee manual should address vacation, sick time, other leave policies, health insurance coverage, and retirement plans. Think about everything it should include; do you have legal assistance plans, or this group health insurance in jacksonville fl or wherever you’re based? Everything must be noted.
6 Employee Management: This provision should set forth employee management guidelines in order to promote positive office morale, an employee appreciation day and incentive programs, bonuses, performance-based raises, and performance evaluations. Employee management is key in any business as employees need to be given structure, not only for the benefit of the business but for their own personal development, there is computer software that can help with this, such as the Profit OKR Software that deals with engagement, performance, and other management features.
7 Employee Termination:Employee termination could be for a number of reasons from breaching the code of conduct, to failing a drug test given by employers (using a drug kit from somewhere like https://www.countrywidetesting.com/collections/10-panel-drug-tests). This provision should focus on the delicate but important issue of employee termination procedures. Failure to address employee termination in the proper manner could open a practice owner up to certain violations of state and federal law.
8 Employee Management: This provision should set forth guidelines for employees to promote positive relations with special needs, pediatric, geriatric, and difficult patients through confident communication skills.
9 Workplace Safety and Security: Your office manual should examine safety and security in the workplace, including complying with OSHA standards, as well as handling emergencies and natural disasters.
These nine categories form the foundation of any great employee manual. By evaluating your Employee Manual and implementing a few additional provisions, a practice owner may avoid a wide range of employment law problems.
Author(s)
Stuart J. Oberman, Esq.
Stuart J. Oberman is the founder and President of Oberman Law Firm. Mr. Oberman graduated from Urbana University and received his law degree from John Marshall Law School. Mr. Oberman has been practicing law for over 30 years, and before going into private practice, Mr. Oberman was in-house counsel for a Fortune 500 Company.
Read More =>
