by Nayab Naseer

Created on: February 24, 2009

An employee handbook is a comprehensive document that lists out the company's rules, regulations, policies and procedures for the employee.

The company's Human Resource department usually prepares such a handbook and hands a copy of the same to the new employee. Of late, the trend is to send the same across to the new employee's email or provide access through the company's intra net.

The onus is on the Human Resources department to create an efficient employee handbook. This would probably be the first comprehensive document the new employee gets from the company and the employees impression of the company would depend on how professional this handbook is. Having an employee handbook is itself what distinguishes a professional and well-run company from a disorganized company where ad-hoc decisions dominate.

When writing the employee handbook, there are many points to keep in mind. Some of them are

1. The handbook should be in a simple language keeping the target audience in mind. The language and writing style should ideally depend on the level of education of the employees. At times, when dealing with a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic workforce, it may be necessary to draft the handbook in more than one language.

2. The handbook should avoid ambiguity. What the employee needs to do and the company's policy should both be clear, in a manner that leaves no room for doubt or individual interpretation. If there are areas where the company does not have a specific policy, mention this, along with the name and designation of the person who can give further guidance on such topics.

3. The employee handbook is a legal document even if there is a statement mentioning that it is not legally binding. Make sure the information mentioned does not contradict the law or promotes discrimination or employee abuse. The handbook should also confirm to the existing practices within the company. If the company has not yet implemented some of the points mentioned in the handbook, mention this clearly. Also make sure the handbook is free from incorrect information. Check for the facts before publishing.

4. Make sure to date the handbook, and give it a version number. This will reduce confusions when revised versions come. It is a good practice to do revisions on a periodic basis, as and when required.

5. Make sure the handbook is free from errors or incorrect information. Proof read the document several times, and give special attention to the figures. Use legible fonts and easily readable

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