handbooks exceptional employee

handbooksExceptional employee

In fact, putting together a great handbook takes time, effort and hard work. In creating a handbook, communicators and HR people walk a delicate tightrope between “rules” (Let’s make sure things are clear so we’re protected.) and “friendliness” (Let’s create a guide that employees actually want to read.).

The handbook has a key role: It is often the first official communication new employees receive and, as we all know, first impressions are important. And your handbook is an essential expression of your company’s culture. Therefore, looking at it solely as a legal document misses an opportunity to affirm that

employees made the right decision to join your company.

In short, the handbook gives employees—whether they are brand new or have been around for a while—the information they need to succeed in your organization.

What’s a policy?HR policies are the formal rules

and guidelines that businesses put into

place to hire, train, assess and reward

employees. We like to think about policies

as an agreement: They give employees

information about what the company

expects of them and what they

can expect from the company.

An employee handbook should be simple to create:

Just put your policies and expectations down on paper

and share with employees. Easy peasy, right?

Smart guide

How to communicate policies in a friendly way

2 © Davis & Company

Four elements of a great handbookThe best employee handbooks review what it’s like to work in an organization, making sure not to go overboard with the legalese.

What is important is that your handbook strikes the right balance when communicating policies—making it easy, even enjoyable, for employees to read about them.

We worked hard to “practice what we preach” in Davis & Company’s handbook, so we’re going to use our handbook as an example of what to do. Here are four key elements:

Good organizationYou can organize your handbook in a

number of ways (chronologically, by order

of importance or alphabetically, for

example). What’s important is that

employees can find what they’re looking for.

The best handbooks have both a table of

contents and an index.

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2 January 2010 Edition

Professional developmentProfessional organizationsRecyclingReimbursement for expensesSickness, personal emergencies or late arrivalsSmokingSubmitting expensesTime reportingTravel arrangementsTravel safetyWeather closings and states of emergencyWorking from home or a remote location

Company benefits

401(k) retirement savings plan Flexible spending accountsHealth insuranceHospital, accident and other insuranceLeaves of absence/disabilityLife insuranceLong-term disability insurancePaid time offShort-term disability insuranceContinuation of benefitsContacts/resources

About this handbook

Our work together

Common areasConfidential informationConflicts of interestCore hoursCorporate contributionsCredit cardsDress codeEmergenciesEmployee classificationsEmployment “at will”Equal opportunity employer Flexible schedulingHarassmentHolidaysIllegal drug use and alcohol abuseInformation and e-mailJury dutyOffice safetyOffice securityOwnership of “work product”PaychecksPerformance management processPets in the office

3 - 4

5 - 18

66777888999

101011111111121212121213

1313141414

15151516161718

19 - 27

20212122

22 - 232424

25 - 26262627

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Type of coverage Provided by How coverage for you is paid

How coverage for your spouse/family is paid

Medical plan (including prescription drug coverage)(Two choices of plans)

HMO:50% paid by Davis & Company; 50% by you*

POS:50% of HMO premium paid by Davis & Company; balance paid by you*

Health Net 100% by you*

Dental plan Guardian 50% paid by Davis & Company; 50% by you*

100% by you*

Vision care plan VSP Davis & Company Not available

Flexible spending accountsYou can participate in a flexible spending account for your healthcare or dependent care expenses. This plan, provided by Paychex, allows you to put before-tax dollars aside to pay for eligible expenses. This is useful to pay for deductibles, co-payments and over-the-counter remedies, as well as dependent care costs. To participate, you put money into a flexible spending account and submit reimbursement claims to receive the money back. Any money in this account that you do not use is forfeited at the end of the year.

Health insuranceDavis & Company offers medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage for full- and part-time salaried employees who work more than 20 hours a week on average. See below for coverage and how it’s paid. You can sign up for medical and dental coverage when you first join the company (within 30 days) or during Open Enrollment at the end of each year. See the HR director for more information about the specific plans and costs.

TERMINOLOGY Before-tax dollars

Under IRS code, you are allowed to pay medical, dental and AFLAC premiums and contributions

to a flexible spending account before paying taxes on the

money. This saves you in taxes each year.

*Cost for coverage paid before taxes, saving you taxes on your insurance payments

BrevityThe handbook is not meant to be

comprehensive. It provides top-level

details about policies and benefits at

your company. Refer employees to

benefit provider web sites or

Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs)

for more information.

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Personal touchesPhotos, testimonials and yes, a

sense of humor, give your handbook flair

and keep employees reading.

Our policy about office security mentions

the friendly local police department.

Yes, they have been here once or twice

to investigate an accidentally

tripped alarm. Oops.

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Welcome to the Davis & Company Employee Handbook. This book contains policies, benefits and general information you may need to know as a Davis & Company employee, whether you’re joining the company for the first time or have been with us a long time.

Since our inception, Davis & Company has strived to provide a fun, friendly atmosphere filled with smart people working hard to do great work for our clients. With more than 20 years of experience, this culture and our people have set us apart from many of our competitors and are key reasons Fortune 500 companies call us for top-notch, award-winning employee communication support.

This employee handbook is designed to provide you with a top-level overview of policies and benefits in an easy-to-read, visual format. The information is kept short on purpose, since we’re not a culture with a lot of rules and regulations. Chances are, you may read something and want to learn more. In which case, Lorraine or Donna can refer you to other plan materials or get clarification from the leadership team.

Now for the legal wording: This handbook is to be used as a guide. It is not a contract, expressed or implied, and can be revised at any time. Failure to follow policies in this guide may result in corrective action, up to and including termination.

4 January 2010 Edition

A friendly voiceYour handbook should not feel

like lawyers wrote it. It should

have a friendly, human voice,

like the example here.

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Last one here? Be sure. If you are working late, check the entire office before setting the alarm system. Otherwise, any employees left will set off the alarms and get a visit from the Glen Rock police.

TIP

3 Davis & Company Employee Handbook


Name itGiving your handbook a name beyond “Our Employee Handbook,” may increase its usefulness. Here are some examples to consider:

w Working Together (Outlines the idea that this book communicates what it’s like to work at your company)

w How to succeed at [Your Company Name]

w Why [Your Company Name] is a Great Place to Work

w Making the Most of Your Career at [Your Company Name]

Here are more handbook tips

Use humorIn one of the handbooks we created, there was a section about ID cards. Here are the first two paragraphs: You received an identification (ID) card during your processing appointment when you first joined us. It includes your name, signature, personnel number, and a probably not very flattering photo.

You should always carry your ID card when you come to work because you’ll need it to enter most of our facilities and to prove your eligibility for some employee services.

That tiny phrase—“a probably not very flattering photo”—provides a bit of comic relief and proves that a real human being wrote the handbook.

Measure successYou can measure the success of your

handbook by including a one-page survey in it (or

online) and offer a small incentive (e.g., free lunch in the

cafeteria) for turning it in.

You can also evaluate success by tracking

the use of company programs. For example, did

enrollment in the subsidized gym program increase

after the handbook was distributed? Did the

number of calls to the HR service

center decrease?

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11 Harristown RoadGlen Rock, NJ 07452201.445.5100

Smart guide

About Davis & CompanyDavis & Company is an award-winning firm that helps companies reach, engage and motivate their employees.

Founded in 1984, Davis & Company develops innovative solutions and programs that improve the success of employee communication for leading companies such as Nestlé, PepsiCo and Pfizer. The company also offers web-based workshops, industry reports, how-to books and newsletters for communication professionals on important topics pertaining to employee communication. The firm is based in Glen Rock, N.J. For more information, visit www.davisandco.com..

To schedule a consultation, just call us at 1-877-399-5100 or email Alison Davis at [email protected].

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