Building an Employee Handbook that Works

Your handbooks must be legally compliant, and there are clear solutions to getting there. What's exciting is that handbooks also can play a role in defining company culture!

In this fast-moving training, attorney, author, and speaker, Don Phin, will take us through the basics of handbook compliance. Don will remind us about the importance of staying compliant with a wide range of laws including those promulgated by Federal, State, and Municipal governing bodies, along with the myriad of regulations and case laws surrounding the interpretation of those laws.

Then Don will focus on the opportunities available in creating great employee handbooks. He will discuss how you can focus your handbook on defining and reinforcing your company culture, vision, mission, values, goals, and more.

Finally, he'll talk about bringing your employee handbook to life and the opportunities that have been created by graphics, media, and the online storage and dissemination of handbooks.

• Quick history into the evolution of employee handbooks
• Don't put your disclaimers before your welcome letter
• At-will and other disclaimers
• Hiring and orientation
• Wage and hour
• Performance management and discipline
• Communication policies
• Benefits
• Leave Management
• Discrimination and Harassment
• Safety
• Bringing your employee handbook to life

Too many employee handbooks are out of date, focus only on legalities or administrative policies, and are boring at best.
The #metoo movement has made it very clear that your handbook needs to show employees how to behave and what procedures to follow when they don’t.

Yes, your handbooks must be compliant, but they must also play a role in establishing company culture.
Do your employees WANT to read your handbook? Is it interesting? Attractive? Positive?
How can you take advantage of graphics, media and online storage in creating your handbook?

• Human Resource Manager
• Director of Human Resources
• Human Resources Partner
• Human Resource Consultant

Don has been a California employment practices attorney since 1983. He litigated employment and business cases for 17 years and quit once he figured out that nobody wins a lawsuit. Since leaving litigation, he has written numerous books and presented more than 500 times to executives nationwide. He loves talking about emotional intelligence and creating engaging workplaces!

Don was the founder and President of HR That Works, used by 3,500 companies and acquired by ThinkHR in January 2014. He worked there for two years as a V.P.

Now in his “wisdom-sharing years,” Don loves advising and coaching executives. He continues to inspire with his speaking and training.