Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

As a business grows in size, management often turns to the use of an employee handbook as a communication tool to inform employees on issues such as company history and products, human resource policies, employee compensation and benefits , training assistance, health services, safety, security, employee responsibilities, and work standards. Handbooks are also useful to supervisors and administrators for insuring consistent implementation and enforcement of company policies. Proponents of employee handbooks argue that they set the parameters of the employment relationship, limit employer liability and responsibility to the employee, and promote employee morale because expectations are communicated and employees know what to expect. Similarly, the disadvantage of a handbook is that it may create unrealistic expectations and liability for the employer, especially when supervisors inconsistently apply company policies. In the US, employers have confronted the legal issue of whether an employee handbook is a contract, thereby limiting employer rights to manage, especially with respect to employee dismissal. There is no legal requirement for employers to develop handbooks, but those that do usually put a disclaimer in the introductory section to clarify for nonunion employees that employment‐at‐will applies to their employment relationship. Employers usually request that employees ... log in or subscribe to read full text