HR ESSENTIALS: Does Your HR Manual Need Updating?

Has it been awhile since you or the head of HR at your business looked through your human resources manual? Do you believe that it could be updated and provide better results for your business?

There are many things that a good HR manual should have in today's society, does yours have these things? Take a look at what should definitely be part of every business's HR manual >>>

Sexual Harassment and Discrimination

According to BLR and the Daily Advisors recent survey, 94.5 percent of HR handbooks had these important things in them.

Spelling out what constitutes sexual harassment and discrimination and outlining what consequences comes from those actions can help when employees come to you with complaints.

Social Media Policy

Whether you are making sure employees can't bad mouth you online or if you are making sure they aren't accessing Facebook at work, having social media policies in place is occurring in 44.4 percent of the HR manuals in today's society.

With the new social media taking over business, it is very important to make sure you have a say in how your employees speak and when they speak on that issue.

Computer Use

In the same vein as social media, regulating an employees computer usage is important. The study showed 90.9 percent of HR manuals refer to this topic.

Whether it is setting up guidelines for computer use on their own time (breaks, lunches), or whether checking of personal email is allowed, the computer use for employees should be broken down into simple language that is easy to understand.

Read Related Articles on Business Review Australia

• Workers Take Caring Bosses for Granted, says Study
• The Importance of UP SKILLING Young Professionals
• Employee Recognition and the Reward for your Business

Confidentiality

Taking in 90.5 percent of the study, HR manuals should definitely include the policy on confidentiality. Is it ok to tell their spouse a company secret, their friends, the internet? What happens if this occurs?

Spell it all out and make sure that your company's secrets STAY your company's secrets. As always, a nondisclosure agreement can also help when there is sensitive material.

Leaves of Absence

What is your attendance policy? What happens when there is too many absences? What constitutes "too many" absences? What is the longest leave of absence your company will allow and under what circumstances?

All of these things should be included. Leaves of absences were found in 91.1 percent of the HR manuals, because they are that important. You don't want an employee hardly ever showing up and not having a black and white policy set in the HR manual that forbids it.

HR manuals are in place to provide employees a cohesive overview of what is expected and needed from them, what to expect from their company, and the consequences for any actions that go against this policy.

Spelled out to the letter, a good HR manual can keep bad employees out of your business.

About the Author

Tina Samuels writes on social media, home improvements, health, and Reputation.com.