HR Practice

Revising an Employee Handbook

By Paula M. Singer, PhD, and Laura L. Francisco, PHR

An Employee Handbook is an important management tool to be used as an orientation for new employees and as a reference for veteran workers. Handbooks improve the efficiency and morale of employees by establishing guidelines and expectations for how employees work at an organization and by providing information regarding policies, procedures, practices, benefits, etc. Handbooks help to ensure decisions made by managers comply with applicable legal requirements and are consistent with the employer’s policies and procedures. To serve these functions, an Employee Handbook must accurately reflect the employer’s practices and frequently changing employment laws.

Even though it is an important management tool, if the handbook is not updated often it will not include new laws, regulations and technologies. Does your handbook address the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and the (recently changed) Fair Labor Standards Act? Does it take into account e-mail and Internet usage? If not, then it is time to revise the handbook. If necessary, contact an HR specialist or lawyer to ensure all laws are addressed correctly and that your state laws are also taken into account.

When revising your library’s handbook, ask yourself: What are the main goals of the handbook? What disclaimers should it include? What policies and procedures are out of date in the current employee handbook? What new laws and regulations need to be considered? And equally important as the content of the handbook, what tone or message do you want to convey to your employees about your library as a place to work?

The main goal of an employee handbook should be to communicate policies and procedures to new and current employees. The handbook can include the history, philosophy, mission and strategic plan of the library. The handbook is a great opportunity to establish a positive image of the library as an employer while explaining policies and procedures. Another goal is to state the legal obligations and responsibilities of both the library and its employees.

One way to communicate and support the policies of the library is with bold statements such as:

We support and enforce a smoke-free and drug-free environment
We are an equal opportunity employer and proudly value diversity.
We promote from within when and where possible.¹
Disclaimers that should be included in an employee handbook include the following:
The handbook does not create a contract, express or implied.
The handbook is not all-inclusive, and is only a set of guidelines.
The handbook does not alter the "at-will" relationship between employer and employee.
The handbook does not guarantee employment for any definite period of time.
The handbook supersedes any previous handbook or unwritten policies.
The handbook can only be changed in writing, by the leadership/management of the library.
The library can change the handbook, at its discretion, at any time.²

When evaluating the laws covered in the handbook, make sure that you have included all required notices, such as equal opportunity, as well as a covered local and state laws and topics such as sexual harassment, disability insurance and workers compensation. Again, contact an HR specialist or lawyer to be sure all pertinent laws are covered completely and are easy to understand by the average employee if you are unsure.

Many policies have changed over the past few years, especially those pertaining to technology. Therefore, particularly in libraries, it is important to include an internet policy. Listed below are some sample policies from the employee handbook of a public library. These are extracts, not inclusive policies.

Internet Usage

Employees must adhere to the same policies for Internet usage as the public including:

Avoid visiting sexually explicit as well as “entertainment type” Internet sites. Such use will be considered an abuse of Library resources and may lead to disciplinary action.
Use will be limited to Library related business while on work time. Employees may use computers during breaks for personal business.

Privacy and E-Mail

The Library encourages the use of electronic mail, or e-mail, as a tool to help accomplish the Library’s legitimate business but not personal objectives. [except staff may use during free time.] E-mail can greatly enhance the quality and efficiency of communication among employees, current and prospective customers, and others involved in our business. However, e-mail also may be misused, with potentially serious consequences for both the Library and the e-mail user. This policy is intended to define the parameters of appropriate e-mail usage by Library personnel. Users should be aware that e-mail messages cannot be considered private and may be monitored by Management. Violators of this policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. Any known or suspected violations of the policy should be reported immediately to Library Management."³

Finally, a handbook should include a detachable page for the employee to sign as an acknowledgment of receipt. This receipt should be kept in the personnel files for future reference if needed. Whenever there has been a major revision or addition to the handbook, employees should sign that they have received the change.

Sample Acknowledgment

I have received a copy of the Employee Handbook outlining the responsibilities of an employee and the responsibilities of the organization. I have read the information contained in this handbook and it has been explained during orientation. If I have any questions, I should contact the Human Resources office. I understand that the employee handbook is not an employment contract, but does provide the organizational employment policies and procedures by which I am governed.

I agree to comply with the guidelines, policies and procedures of (library name). I understand my employment and compensation can be terminated at the option of either myself or (library name) at any time.

This Handbook is subject to change without notice. It is understood that changes in procedure will supersede or eliminate those found in this book and I will be notified of such changes through normal communication channels.⁴

Each employee should receive a copy of the handbook on the first day of employment. The handbook should also be discussed during the orientation process. The Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library uses a PowerPoint presentation format to communicate the handbook to new employees.⁵ This is a vital part of the success of the handbook—ensuring that each employee understands what is included.

The employee handbook is not a set of rules or a binding contract. It should provide guidelines for employees and management on wages, benefits, general work conduct, policies and procedures, and laws and regulations effecting the work environment. Libraries can use the task of updating their handbooks as an opportunity to do a thorough review of all that is contained within and then communicate any changes to staff.

One way to use the employee handbook as a communication tool is to create a committee to work with human resources to recommend updates to the handbook. New and creative ideas can be established when a committee brainstorms about what to include and update in the employee handbook. After this committee has updated the policies and researched the legal requirements then a brown bag lunch could be scheduled to review the policies and communicate the changes. This process will make others appreciate the fact they have been included in the updates for the employee handbook and not simply told what changes have been made to the handbook.

References

Dale Scharinger, "Preparation of the Employee Handbook," Society for Human Resource Management Information Center, 2002. www.shrm.org/hrresources/whitepapers_published/CMS_000252.asp.
Maurice Baskin, “Is It Time to Revise Your Employee Handbook?" Society for Human Resource Management Legal Report (June 2000). www.shrm.org/hrresources/lrpt_published/CMS_000970.asp.
The Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library, The Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library Employee Handbook, Aug. 2002. www.zionsville.lib.in.us/docs/employee_handbook_v1.doc.
Baskin, "Is It Time To Revise Your Employee Handbook?"
TThe Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library, The Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library Employee Handbook.

Dr. Singer and Ms. Francisco are with The Singer Group, Inc., a Human Resources/Organization Design and Development consulting firm. They can be reached at pmsinger@singergrp.com, lfrancisco@singergrp.com, or 410-561-7561. The Singer Group’s Web site is www.singergrp.com.

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