What is the value to my business of having a staff handbook?

Every business has internal policies and procedures that it lives and works by.

The law also requires businesses to put certain policies and procedures in place to assist employees and workers in exercising their rights. After all, it is not all about how staff must not take bribes, how expenses claims must be filed and who is responsible when the company car gets pranged.

Often, businesses assume that their policies only need to be known by one or a handful of people in senior positions. This is a myth. If you, as a business owner, with staff to adhere to any policies, you need to make them aware of those policies. The best way to do this is to set them out clearly and in writing with a staff handbook.

From the moment a business takes on its first workers or employees (including a small-to-medium-sized business), it needs to have a physical handbook in place that staff can read and easily refer to in the future. Equally, business owners and managers need a physical document that they can use for guidance when facing a specific challenge in the workplace.

Other businesses might already have a staff handbook, but it might have been left on the shelf, gathering dust, which is equally dangerous. Staff handbooks that are not reviewed regularly can easily become out of date given the frequent changes in employment law, which is as harmful as not having a handbook at all. As a general rule, businesses should review their handbooks at least every 2 years so that they are still compliant and meet their needs.

The cost of doing so will save your business countless hours in management time and significant financial expense.

Contact us now if you are concerned that you might need a new staff handbook or if your existing handbook needs to be reviewed.

This note is not intended to substitute legal advice from your instructed lawyer. You should always consult with your lawyer directly regarding any specific queries you may have.