Is your employee handbook looking more like an episode of American Horror Story?  Inconsistencies, jargon, pedantries, and other nasties can be hiding in your employee handbook, especially if the handbook hasn’t been updated since the Prohibition Era.And what’s worse—like American Horror Story, these ghosts of handbooks past could be lurking right under your nose, ready to wreak havoc at a moment’s notice.

Fortunately for you, you can do your own brand of ghost-busting with your employee handbook.  It may not fire a proton beam, but it can be a powerful tool to distribute company policy and to help your employees follow it.  The handbook can maximize understanding and minimize potential litigation, so make sure it’s working to your best advantage and that it isn’t making commitments you don’t want to honor!

To make the most effective employee handbook, check out these helpful tips.

• Watch your words.Remember, the average American reads at a junior-high level—now is not the time to show off your skill with iambic pentameter.  Your employee handbook should be presented in easy-to-read English that everyone can follow.  Simple language puts everyone on the same page and helps keep misinterpretations to a minimum.
• Keep it consistent.  A handbook is only as valid as the information in it, so that information had better be consistent within and between all sections.  The PTO Section can’t call for six weeks of vacation while the Benefits Section calls for four.  To stave off pesky inconsistencies, keep a list of related policy items: in this case, length of vacation time. When vacation policy needs to be updated, you have a list ready to update all related areas at one time.
• Balance the details.  Some details can be good to clear up ambiguity, but go easy.  Including too many details can come back to haunt you.Take the dress code, for example.  Everyone would agree that pencil skirts are proper business attire for female employees; everyone would likely agree that micro-minis are not.  Still, it might be best to trust your employees’ professional judgment.  Avoid rigid statements such as “skirts must be at least one inch below the knee” unless you’re prepared to measure every skirt every day—including any kilts—and discipline rule-breakers.  Too many details can make for potential litigation troubles if not strictly followed and enforced.  It’s best to offer more general, flexible statements to make your point.
• Ditch the dry.  “Welcome to our company!  Here’s 102 pages of legalese for you to read through and enjoy.  Did we mention Tuesdays are Wear a Sweater Vest Day?”  Yes, your handbook should be thorough and technically sound, but who says it can’t be fun?  Think about including themes or fun graphics to liven things up and encourage employees to read.
• Come into the digital age.  If you’re still passing out 102-page tomes, they might as well be printed on papyrus.  Surely your office has an intranet to access important files, or a shared network drive, or at the very least, we know you have a word-processing program and an e-mail account.  So digitize that relic and save a few trees—and office supply dollars—in the process.
• Know your stuff.  Your employees aren’t superheroes, so don’t ask them to know every minute detail of the handbook unless you do, too.  They will come to you, their manager, for guidance or clarification on handbook issues, so it’s important that you are readily familiar with company policy.

Tackling the ghosts of handbooks past is a battle you don’t have to fight alone.  The professional HR consultants at YES! Your Human Resources Solutionare here to help, armed with over 20 years of human resources knowledge.  Whether it’s creating an effective employee handbook, streamlining your employee benefits and recognition programs, or strengthening your leadership strategies, we offer the right solution at the right time for your company.  Take a look at our Services page to see a few of the ways we can help your business thrive in the future.

If you’re ready to harness the power of saying YES!with a free consultation, give us a call or visit our website today.