A company handbook is a guide for employees. It can also be called a staff handbook, employee handbook or employee manual. For new employees it is a critical document that sets the scene as to what should be expected when working with you. For Line Managers it is an essential guidance tool
Here are our 3 top reasons to have a Company Handbook:

Reason 1
Clarity for Employees – It’s a one-stop-shop to introduce employees, no matter their level or experience, to your company, its culture and its mission and vision. You can also include the history of your business; your team and it can be written in a friendly way – more like a ‘culture’ handbook.

For employees, it will act as a guide that they can come back to at any point within their employment and refer to if they have questions about policy or procedures. It underlines the key aspects of employment law and their employer’s expectations during their employment. It should help to provide clarity, reducing uncertainty and answering queries, which saves time for both the employer and employee.

Reason 2
Clarity for Line Managers – It provides a ‘how we do things around here’ guidance for Managers of people, showing standard policies which are clearly written out. Line Managers can then use this to ensure consistency and fairness and will help them to avoid conflicts or accusations of favouritism.
A good Handbook should also contain information on people processes, outlining how the business would investigate and deal with any issues that may arise. The best employee handbooks also contain information about the values of the business and contain forward thinking policies that outline ‘the way we do things around here’ so tailoring the information based on how you run your business.

Reason 3
Protecting your Business – A Company Handbook serves as a standard document to which anyone can refer in case of questions or disputes. This protects employees, management, and ownership in day-to-day business and can also be a resource if you need to defend against legal claims involving current or former employees.

An ideal company handbook containing key policies and information, in some cases it can be a small document with access to Policies that can be held separately to the main document. To be legally compliant, all UK businesses must have the following policies available to all employees:

• Health and Safety policy
• Disciplinary policy
• Grievance policy
• If you have five or more employees, then you are required by law to have a written statement of general policy on health and safety.

In summary, a Company Handbook is a critical tool for Line Managers and HR to ensure consistency, fairness and guidance. Once the Handbook is created, there should be Handbook training for Line Managers that follows, this ensures that they are aware of the Policies and how this will influence their management of certain situations. With all Policies, comes a raft of different document to support that process, such as letters, forms, training etc. Handbooks need to be updated regularly as Employment Law changes and working practices evolve. In 2024 there are a raft of changes coming that will affect all businesses, regardless of size.

My HR Hub offers a bespoke handbook service and provides all of the relevant supporting documentation and training for Line Mangers. We work closely with our clients to create a bespoke Handbook and keep you updated on Employment Law changes.

We would be happy to talk with you about how we can help your business to ensure you are legally compliant and that you communicate with your employees and train your Line Managers to protect your business.

Please feel free to get in touch on hello@myhrhub.co.uk.