Why You Need an Employee Handbook Review
When was the last time you reviewed your company’s employee handbook?
If it’s been more than a year since you’ve revisited your employee handbook, it’s time to do a review. You can’t afford to let your written policies get out of date; you need to keep up with all the many changes in both society and the workplace.
Why You Need to Conduct an Employee Handbook and Policy Review ASAP
Your employee handbook lays out your company’s rules and procedures for all employees to follow. A well-written employee handbook should cover everything you expect from your employees, from dress codes and attendance to safety rules and legal compliance. As such, it needs to be kept up-to-date as the workplace—and issues affecting the workplace—change.
HR experts say that you need to review your employee handbook at least once a year. Updating, if needed, after the first of a calendar year is a good idea, as it lets you catch any new state and federal employment laws that typically go into effect on January 1st.
What You Need to Review
What should you look for when reviewing your employee handbook? In general, you want to incorporate any new laws or regulations that have gone into effect since your last update, as well as any new company policies you’ve enacted.
New Policies
It’s important that you review all of your company policies outlined in your employee handbook. Make sure the handbook includes all your policies, including new ones added since your last update. You should check for any changes to your company policies and incorporate them as well. It’s also a good idea to make changes to the wording of your policies that could help clarify any questions or issues that employees have raised in the past year.
New Laws
There are two changes in Arizona state laws that might need to be incorporated into your employee handbook. First, the state’s minimum wage increased to $12.15 per hour on January 1st, except in Flagstaff, where the wage rose to $15.00 per hour. Second, know that Arizona voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana (although the law still allows employers to restrict marijuana use on company property).
There are another two legal changes on the federal level you may need to review. First, the minimum wage for federal contract workers increased to $10.95 per hour. Second, to help reduce identity theft, you can now choose to—and probably should—display only the last four digits of an employee’s Social Security number on their W-2 forms.
Updated COVID Rules
The COVID-19 crisis may dictate some changes in the company policies reflected in your employee handbook. In particular, you may need to add new work-from-home policies to deal with a growing number of remote workers—how they communicate with other remote employees, how they secure devices and communications, how they track work hours, etc. You may also need new policies to ensure employee safety when they return to the office.
Let CBR Help You Review Your Employee Handbook
The professionals at Creative Business Resources can help you review your employee handbook. We have years of experience dealing with both HR and legal issues you’re likely to encounter and can help you draft just the right language for your employees. We’ve been helping Arizona businesses with their HR issues for more than 22 years and pride ourselves in providing solutions that help your business run more efficiently and profitably.
Contact CBR today to learn more about reviewing your company’s employee handbook!
