To use images in an employee handbook, source licensed or royalty-free visuals and place them to break up dense policy text. Here is where to find them and how to stay compliant.
Imagine this: You’ve just been handed your employee handbook on your first day at a new job. As you begin flipping through the pages, you are met with dry, boring paragraphs of text. Are you inspired to read on, or do you feel overwhelmed?
Now, picture a different scenario: You’re given an employee handbook where the text is interspersed with images, infographics, and/or illustrations. The balance of text and visuals makes the content much more approachable.
Images can transform your employee handbook from an intimidating wall of text into a lively, engaging, and even enjoyable read. Visual elements don’t just make your handbook look good; they aid in comprehension, retention, and overall interaction with the document. When you emphasize design, you’ll make your employees feel how much they matter to your company.
We touch on images and design work in the “The Pep Work” section of our How to Write Policies & Procedures guide, but let’s dive a little deeper on adding images to your employee handbook.
Whether you’re an HR manager trying to breathe new life into your company’s policies or a business owner creating your first handbook, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll talk about what an employee handbook is, the benefits of handbook templates, and factors to consider when choosing a template. In short, these seven free employee handbook templates give you a proven structure to customize, and below is each one with how to choose the best fit.
We’ve compiled a list of basic employee handbook templates to help inspire your handbook creation process. Most of the templates we’ll feature are suitable for companies with fewer than 50 employees — people looking to create simple handbooks housed in Notion, ClickUp, another wiki tool, or in a Word doc or PDF. However, we’ll discuss some more advanced options, too.
We’ll also go over template customization and implementation, followed by best practices for handbook maintenance.
An employee handbook should do more than gather dust on a shelf. So, what does it take to create an effective employee handbook that strikes the balance between workplace policies and the nuances of your company culture?
In this article, we’ll walk you through seven guidelines to keep in mind as you craft or refine your employee handbook. We’ll even provide actionable tips and share best practices to inspire you along the way.
By the end of this read, you’ll be well equipped to create an employee handbook that protects your company while building a productive and inclusive work environment.
An employee handbook serves many purposes — it’s a tour guide, a rule referee, and a cultural compass all in one. When done correctly, an employee handbook is a living, breathing document that cultivates understanding, facilitates communication, and creates a shared sense of purpose among your diverse team.
But that’s just the beginning.
Let’s explore the benefits of employee handbooks and the ways they supercharge engagement, communicate policies and procedures, and set your organization up for success.
An employee handbook is a document that sets out a company’s policies, procedures, benefits, and cultural expectations for employees. It gives staff a single reference for how the company works, and it protects the employer by documenting that policies were communicated. Below is what it includes and why it matters.
Are you creating your first handbook or overhauling an outdated handbook? No matter where you are on this journey, it’s important you understand the employee handbook basics.
When done effectively, an employee handbook is one of the most valuable items in your HR toolkit. It’s more than a mere list of dos and don’ts; it’s a comprehensive guide that can set your organization up for success.
We’ll explain why you need an employee handbook, how to structure your handbook, and ways to implement your handbook. Let’s get started!
The best multi-state employee handbook software includes Blissbook, Mineral, SixFifty, and XpertHR, each helping you apply the right state and local policies to every employee. Below is how the four compare and how to choose.
This article will provide you with the knowledge and tools necessary to develop a multi-state employee handbook easily and confidently. We’ve done our research and handpicked the three best multi-state employee handbook software solutions.
Creating an employee handbook can be daunting for even the most experienced HR professional — and that’s when you’re contending with just one handbook. The job becomes even more complicated if you operate in multiple states and jurisdictions, each with its own set of laws and regulations.
“Employee handbook” and “policy manual” might sound like interchangeable terms, but they’re two separate items, each with their own distinct purpose. In short, an employee handbook is the employee-facing guide to policies and culture, while a policy manual is the detailed internal rulebook that gives HR and managers the procedures and forms to apply them.
By understanding the differences between an employee handbook and a policy manual, your company can ensure the right people have access to the appropriate level of information. Properly documented and communicated policies can also help you minimize liability risks in the workplace.
In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about employee handbooks and policy manuals, including their purpose, contents, and requirements.
We’ll also highlight the main differences between the two documents.
Let’s take a closer look at how to distinguish between employee handbooks and policy manuals.
An employee handbook signature page is the section where employees sign to confirm they received, read, and agreed to the handbook. Below, you’ll find what to include, real examples, and how to create one.
An employee handbook signature page is the section where employees sign to confirm they received, read, and agreed to the handbook. Here is exactly what it should include.
A signature page gives an employee handbook its power, so it should be a priority when developing your handbook content. Though it can be easy to get caught up in the ins and outs of the policies themselves, your signature or acknowledgement page is what makes things official. By signing, employees affirm that they’ve read the expectations detailed on the acknowledgement page.
In this article, we’ll explore signature pages from all angles, including what they are, best practices (with examples), and how to create and design an effective signature page for your employee handbook.
To create an employee handbook, gather your company policies, organize them into clear sections, add legal disclaimers, then collect employee sign-off. Follow the steps below.
As a business owner or HR professional, you have many priorities, like hiring, training, and ensuring operations run smoothly. Your employee handbook can help you perform these tasks by giving employees easy access to the necessary information.
Employee handbooks give all employees clear guidance on your company’s policies, procedures, and expectations. Better yet, an effective employee handbook benefits people at all levels of your organization — from new hires on day one to managers celebrating ten years at the company.
In this article, we’ll explain what an employee handbook is, why it’s important to have one, and what it should include.
We’ll also discuss when to create your employee handbook and provide guidelines to help you get started.
Lastly, we’ll go over the various platforms you can use to create your employee handbook, including Microsoft Word, Google Docs, knowledge management platforms, or specialized employee handbook software like Blissbook.
When creating your employee handbook, we know your top priority is to communicate your organization’s policies and procedures. Nobody’s trying to swindle you or lead you to believe otherwise. That said, some handbooks make employees feel like another number (read: a number that can be fired for many reasons). Other handbooks inspire employees to feel like part of a team that happens to have rules to enable everyone to work together successfully.
We prefer the latter.
Here are three ideas to make your employee handbook less of a snoozefest.