Create An Employee Handbook On Trello
An employee handbook or employee manual provides a thorough overview of company-specific policies, procedures, guidelines, and employee benefits. By using an employee handbook, companies protect themselves against employee claims (e.g., harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination) and lawsuits. An employee handbook is also vital when introducing new hires to your organization and its culture, values, and overarching mission.
All organizations benefit from an employee handbook, but having and using one becomes even more pivotal as companies and the teams grow. These manuals offer a foundation, baseline expectations, and a general understanding of how workers must conduct themselves. That said, with all the moving parts of your company, finding time to create an employee handbook can be difficult. Yet, having an employee manual is no less essential.
Considering these factors above, how can you create your employee manual without impeding organizational productivity?
Hipporello’s Employee Handbook Power-Up for Trello will drastically reduce the time it takes to create an effective company handbook – because you won’t be reinventing the wheel. Instead, you'll have more of a blueprint to help speed things up.
How To Write An Employee Handbook
To get an understanding of how the Employee Handbook Power-Up works, we’re providing a helpful sample employee handbook template. We'll also explain the type of information that could go in each section.
1. Welcome
1.1. Company mission, vision, and values
1.2. Company history and background
2. Employment Policies
3. Compensation and Employee Benefits
4. Work Policies and Procedures
5. Working Hours, PTO and Vacation
5.1. Promotion and advancement
5.2. Disciplinary actions and procedures
6. Performance evaluations
7. Resignation and Termination of employment
1. The “Welcome” Section:
Here’s your chance to start your company handbook on the right foot. You’re beginning things with a warm hello that immediately communicates with your staff that they're part of something special.
Below is an example of how your “welcome” section can look:
Welcome to our team! We’re proud to have you as part of our organization and are excited to share this journey with you. You’re vital to our short- and long-term success, as we rely on and trust our employees to provide top-tier products/services and customer support.
Reading our manual, you’ll learn about our policies, rules, and culture that have shaped this company into what it is.
1.1 Company Mission, Vision, And Values.
Your company’s mission statement communicates its purpose or reason for existence. It can be a short paragraph or even a sentence.
A vision statement explains the “why” of your organization, revealing a shared direction and goal for all members of your organization.
Value statements illustrate a company’s priorities, letting your team know your organizational culture and what it finds important.
1.2 Company History And Background
Employees–especially new hires–benefit from learning the company’s legacy and identity. It helps inform their actions because they’ll gain insight into how the business came to be and its benchmarks.
This section also contextualizes your company's values, mission, and vision statements.
Be sure to keep this section in your branded voice.
2. Employment Policies
You can include a general overview of the following policies (and more) in this section:
Code of conduct
General employment information
Equal employment opportunity (anti-discrimination)
Pay policies (e.g., information on timekeeping, overtime eligibility, meal/rest periods, and paydays)
Complaint filing process
Also, be sure to enter disclaimers that the employee manual offers guidelines and policies but don’t offer a contract or guarantee of 100% secured employment. Furthermore, note that these policies can change based on the employer’s discretion.
You might add more specific details on some of these policies later in the company handbook, but this section provides a valuable introduction.
3. Compensation And Employee Benefits
The compensation section can include legal frameworks and overtime rules. Include the days people receive their wages or salary. Based on the nature of your company’s wage/salary policy and approach, it may help to avoid any concrete numbers.
Benefits are the non-cash and indirect compensation your employees receive. These include insurance plans, corporate discounts, paid vacation, etc.
A best practice is to detail your compensation philosophy without listing specific plans and carriers. You’ll also want to clarify how long new hires must wait to become eligible for benefits.
4. Work Policies And Procedures
These procedures involve what’s expected during a standard workday (e.g., when should employees arrive at the office? When are your breaks? Do employees have to clock in or use a fob?)
Procedures will vary based on the manner of work being done. They could involve workplace safety in more physical jobs, for instance. A communications policy can also be involved in this section, clarifying what devices can and should be used and how to use them (e.g., employees can’t use work phones and laptops for personal communications). Also, consider adding a code of ethics, dress code, and attendance requirements. A late policy can also be included in this section.
5. Working Hours, PTO, And Vacation
In this section, break down your employee's expected office/workplace hours.
Clarify your paid time off policies (e.g., paid sick leave). Note whether there’s a baseline and if it’s subject to increases through time served. Include allotted paid vacation time in this section as well.
5.1 Promotion And Advancement
Explain how your company assesses promotions and advancement through the ranks. Do these assessments happen incrementally? Is your promotion policy focused on continually moving people up throughout their tenure?
5.2 Disciplinary Actions And Procedures
Detail instances that can lead to disciplinary actions (e.g., misconduct, harassment, and frequent tardiness). Explain the procedures that can follow (e.g., write-ups, incident reports, investigations, and formal reprimands).
6. Performance Evaluations
How frequently does your company conduct employee performance reviews? What criteria are these evaluations based on? What’s the intended purpose of these evaluations?
This information can give your employees a clear picture of what’s expected of them to achieve at the highest level in your organization.
7. Resignation And Termination Of Employment
Illustrate what’s expected of employees who resign (e.g., are they mandated to provide two weeks' notice?). Is there a non-compete agreement they must adhere to? Clarify details such as whether terminated employees will receive money for paid vacation. Explain who’s covered by the policy, the general process of termination, and a broad explanation of how termination comes about.
How to Use An Employee Handbook Creator On Trello
Thanks to the Employee Handbook Power-Up, getting an employee handbook creator has never been easier.
In fact, all you need to do to make a company handbook is follow these steps:
Create employee policies/procedures right from Trello.
Publish the necessary articles on your web portal by clicking a button on a Trello card.
Share your handbook link with your team members, who can sign up to refer to it as needed.
Enjoy on-the-go updates for new articles.
What’s more? There’s no credit card required–all you need is a free Trello account to get started!
What Are The Benefits Of The Trello Employee Handbook Creator?
The Trello employee handbook can be seamlessly accessed by your employees. All it takes is the press of a few mouse buttons, and your team members can gather whatever information they need about their employment.
Moreover, the employee handbook interface is intuitive and easy to use. Updating information is hassle-free, and managing your employee handbook will cause zero headaches because it’s so simple.
Creating an employee handbook protects your company while giving employees insights to perform at their best. Thanks to Trello, you can create one without pouring endless time and resources into the process.
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