Your employee handbook is a critical document that lays out your company’s policies and lets employees know about their rights – which is part of why building it from scratch can feel so daunting. We’ll take you through each step of that process so you can feel confident that you have developed a handbook that covers all the essential details, and we’ll also cover compliance issues.
Starting with the Basics — Why This Next Step Matters
On our resource page, we go over the details of what information you need to include as part of your employee handbook, including the necessary elements to remain in compliance with North Carolina’s laws. This resource page allows you to create a basic framework of information that you need to cover, but it doesn’t contain the depth of information employees really need when they have a question or need to know more about their rights.
Stalling Mid-Process
For many HR professionals, business owners, and more, it’s easy to stall on the “we need an employee handbook” stage. You might have a general outline of what you want to include, but it’s all too easy to create that initial layout, then fail to flesh it out and include all the information you need. Having a comprehensive employee handbook is essential.
Step 1 — Lock Down the Legal Foundation First
Before you draft any policy, make sure it includes the load-bearing language every NC handbook really needs. That includes:
- A statement about at-will employment
- A disclaimer noting that the employee handbook is not a contract
- A note on when and how the handbook can be updated, as well as how those updates will be shared with employees
Using the right language and framing for your handbook is critical. Because it provides essential information about employer policies, employee rights, and legal requirements, you need your legal framework in place from the ground up. By establishing it before you get started, you avoid unnecessary rewrites and decrease overall strain.
Step 2 — Writing Policy
For each federal-baseline category on the resource page, you need a clear, complete written policy. It should include:
- The purpose of the category or section
- The scope covered by that section
- Your company’s procedures and/or requirements
- Who to contact in the event of a violation, when an employee has questions, etc.
By following the same general format for every category, including EEO/anti-harassment, wage and hour requirements, timekeeping, leave, safety, and the employer code of conduct, you make it easy for employees to access the information they need.
Step 3 — Layer In the NC-Specific Provisions Generic Templates Miss
When you put together your handbook using a generic employee handbook template, it often misses the specific provisions set out by North Carolina law. That includes:
- North Carolina's Retaliatory Employement Discrimination Act (REDA) protections
- Workers’ comp injury-reporting notice requirements, as laid out in NC Industrial Commission Form 18
- Unemployment insurance basics as set out by NC DES
- NC posting/poster obligations that need to be included in the handbook, based on your industry and its requirements
As an employer in North Carolina, you not only need to make sure that your handbook includes relevant information at the federal level, but that it includes all the policies and procedures necessary to remain in compliance with North Carolina law.
Step 4 — Format for Readability, Not Just Compliance
You don’t just want an employee handbook that shows you have done your due diligence and provided employees with necessary information. It also needs to be readable: a document employees can actually refer back to and use. Try these tips to streamline that process:
- Use plain language over legalese. Where necessary, break down content into simpler concepts that employees can easily understand.
- Use a consistent structure based on your individual policies and North Carolina regulations, which can make it easier to both search for that information and access it as needed
- Include a table of contents
- Use version numbering for your documentation so that you can more easily keep up with your current handbook and policies
- Prioritize accessible formatting so that all employees can make use of those documents
SHRM's handbook-building guidance can provide additional assistance in creating your handbook and ensuring that it is accessible to all employees.
Step 5 — Get a Second Set of Eyes Before Anyone Signs
A compliance/legal review pass is critical even after careful drafting. When you’ve spent a long time looking at your employee handbook, you may assume that it says things that it doesn’t: for example, that you have included all relevant policies even though something happens to be missing, or that you have clearly spelled something out using plain language when, in reality, it’s difficult to keep up with it.
Step 6 — Roll Out, Collect Acknowledgments, and Set a Review Cadence
As you get ready to roll out your employee handbook, keep in mind that the work isn’t over yet. Make sure that the document is distributed to all employees. Then:
- Collect signed acknowledgement forms so that you know all employees have read the handbook and reviewed your policies and processes
- Store documentation related to the employee handbook where you can access it easily, with all employee forms in the same location
- Conduct an annual or as-needed review schedule that helps you keep up with any legal changes
SHRM’s revision-season guidance can also help you manage and accurately maintain your employee handbook.
Roll Out Your NC-Compliant Handbook
After your handbook has been reviewed, distribute to your employees, and have them acknowledge their receipt of it. With this guide, you can more easily create the document you need to keep your business in compliance and ensure that employees have the information they need at their fingertips.
About Platinum Group
Platinum Group helps companies automate and simplify their process by offering cloud-based HR solutions that streamline your HCM. With isolved’s People Cloud, companies can manage their people and remain compliant, all from a single, secure platform. Discover how our solutions can support your business today.
[DISCLAIMER: The information in this article is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or professional advice of any kind. Employment laws and regulations — at the federal, North Carolina, and local level — change frequently, and their application depends on the specific facts of your business. Nothing in this post should be relied upon as a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney or qualified HR professional familiar with your situation. Reading or using this content does not create an attorney-client relationship, an advisory relationship, or any other professional relationship between you and Platinum Group. We make reasonable efforts to keep this information current and accurate but make no representations or warranties, express or implied, about its completeness, accuracy, reliability, or applicability to your circumstances. Platinum Group and its employees, officers, and affiliates disclaim any and all liability for actions taken, or not taken, based on the contents of this article. Before implementing, revising, or relying on any employee handbook or workplace policy, consult a licensed employment attorney.]
