Is it Time to Review your Employee Guidelines Manual?

When is the last time you thoroughly reviewed your Employee Guidelines Manual?  If you see a thin layer of dust on the cover, now’s the time to review it.

Joking aside, a guidelines manual should be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure the policies are current, relevant and you are legally compliant with workplace legislation.

Here are some questions to ask when reviewing your manual:

• Has there been significant change within the organization that may affect values and expectations – for example a change in leadership?
• What legislative changes have occurred since the last review?
• How effective have the policies been?
• Are the policies fair and consistent?
• Who will be involved in the review process?  It should not be the sole responsibility of Human Resources.  Input from the Management Team is critical to decide which policies are working and which policies need updating to remain current with best practices is important.
• What feedback have employees provided on the policies?

Just remember, when you’ve updated your manual, there should be a rollout and communication to managers and employees so that are all aware of any changes.