Creating an employee handbook or a culture book for your company can be intimidating – There’s a lot that you need to cover! Below, we’ve put together a list of topics that are commonly included in effective employee handbooks. Feel free to use this as a template for your own company handbook.
This checklist is made primarily for office jobs, but can be helpful for all types of jobs.
SEE ALSO: Example Employee Handbooks
About the company
- Our mantra
- Who we are as a company
- Our history / timeline
- Our values
- How our teams / employees are organized
Your first days
- What to expect
- Training schedules
- Tools we use
- Who should I contact for X?
Policies
- Working from home
- Vacation time / holidays
- Sick leave / family leave
- Absence / lateness
- Confidentiality
- Using your phone at work
- Time-wasting sites at work
Good to know’s
- General work hours
- What people wear
- Can I bring my dog into work?
- Lunch breaks!
- Desk decor
- Team outings / events (ie. happy hour)
- Candidate referral program
- Performance reviews
- I’m the first/last one at work. What should I do?
- How can I use my company credit card?
Compensation
- Payment schedule
- Bonuses
- Promotions
These are the essentials for an office job environment, but we recommend showcasing your organization’s corporate culture by including team photos, funny memes, etc. as well. Keep in mind that your handbook should be an enjoyable read – If it’s enjoyable, employees will take more time reviewing it and are more likely to take in the information, and adhere to it.
You should have a legal document that employees sign, but you should also have a handbook that your employees will read. It’s important to outline key information for new hires to get up to speed quickly.
If you haven’t already, check out AirMason – it’s our tool to build your own employee handbook.
