5 Things To Include In Your Online Employee Handbook

When it comes time to creating your employee handbook, it is critical to add all the necessary information needed for a newbie to join you!

The question however is, what do you actually need to put in your handbook in the first place? No matter what space your company is in, there are a number of employee handbook essentials to include across the board.

Here we’re looking at 5 things you must include in your online employee handbook.

1. Onboarding Section

When people are newly hired at your company, there are many new rules and policies they need to think about. However, there are also many legal things they need to be made aware of so they know where they stand with different company matters.

This is where your onboarding section comes in!

After years of working creating handbooks for multiple clients, the expert team at AirMason says that on-boarding is by far the most important section in the handbook. The onboarding section contains information about equal opportunity statements, conflict of interest statements, company culture statements, and lots more legalese that your new hire should familiarize themselves with.

2. Office Procedures

Your new hire needs to get the lowdown on their new office environment, how it works, and how they can fit their working style into the constraints of the work environment.

Ideally, your office procedures section should include details like office hours, lunch times, smoking break policies, work-from-home policies, rules about the use of company equipment, and any ADA accommodations made for employees with disabilities.

No one wants to make a fool of themselves in the office because they don’t know the rules, so make sure that your employees understand the workplace they’re walking into.

3. Compensation Details

We can talk about goals and career aspirations till the cows come home, but ultimately, your employees all want to get paid. Asking about your payment can feel awkward, whether you’re talking to co-workers or superiors, so it’s helpful to have an in-depth compensation section in your employee handbook.

Include details about their salary, the dates they can expect payment, tax details, and more. If your employees are able to work overtime, explain your overtime policy and what the rate of pay for overtime hours is. If you offer bonuses at certain times of the year, explain that too.

There are many ways to create an employee handbook, but you should always have an in-depth compensation section regardless of the style you choose.

4. Paid Vacations

Everyone needs time off. Whether it’s for a vacation, a family event, an emergency, or some much-needed rest.

Paid vacations is another topic that feels awkward for employees to discuss with their superiors, so make sure to include plenty of information in your handbook.

Include details about how much time your employees can take as paid leave every year, the process for booking time off from work, and details for payments during this time. For example, if your rate of pay differs when people take time off work, make note of that.

Your employees should easily grasp how to book time off, how much time off they’re allowed to take, and how much they’ll get paid during their time away.

5. Benefits

All employees enjoy benefits and recognition! If your company has certain benefits, you need a benefits section which details all of these things separately.

For example, if you offer health insurance or dental coverage, include full details on how employees can sign up for this coverage and reap the benefits of your healthcare plan.

Similarly, if your company offers a pension fund or a 401(k), talk about how this works and how employees can monitor their retirement fund.

If your company offers company vehicles for any reason, state how using the company vehicle works. Can employees use it for personal errands when not working? How do they keep track of the fuel expenditure? Is there an expenses system of any kind?

Finally, list any additional benefits you might give your employees. For example, some food companies allow their employees to eat free lunches and some retailers give employees exclusive store discounts.

Hopefully you enjoyed these 5 things to include in your online employee handbook! Whether you’re a small retailer or a huge international conglomerate, including these sections in your HR book is a surefire path to employee success and happiness!