Employee handbooks play an important role that provides a measure of legal protection for an organization. The handbook explains in detail the legal obligations of an employer to an employee, and what businesses require of their workers; it contains workplace policies affected by federal and state laws. Most businesses issue employees a handbook and require them to sign a nondisclosure agreement.
Your employment handbook should include information stating your company follows laws established by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Federal law prohibits companies from discriminating based on gender, race, sex, age, disability or religion. Include policies about your zero-tolerance of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Advertisement Article continues below this adEmployee handbooks typically include information about federal and state laws regarding income tax deductions. As an employer, you must withhold taxes from employee paychecks and submit them to the Internal Revenue Service. Employee benefits are outlined based on company policies, as well as voluntary deductions for health, retirement and other benefits. Every employee should glean detailed information about benefits, work appraisals, pay schedules and salary increases. The employer should also outline any information pertaining to injury suffered on the job, or as a result of specific jobs that could be hazardous to employees, including pertinent information on wage replacement and medical treatment.