H.R. Access Disclaimer READ CAREFULLY

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Any employer that decides to implement personnel policies and procedures and/or prepare and distribute an employee handbook must first evaluate its own culture, size, business, and industry and its desire to communicate to employees in a more formal and structured manner.

If an employer decides to issue an employee handbook or policy manual, the following materials provide an overview of some of the issues an employer must address when preparing a handbook or policy manual, as well as samples of policies that an employer may want to utilize. All policies should be tailored to reflect the employer's own culture and unique needs.

Caution: The materials contained herein are not intended to constitute or provide legal advice.  Employers drafting or revising an employee handbook or employment policy manual should have that handbook or manual first reviewed by legal counsel before implementing and distributing to employees.

Some employers may choose to formulate written policies for employees and distribute them as employee handbooks.  Handbooks can be a very useful tool -- both for the employer and the employee.

Caution: Lawsuits based on language contained in employee handbooks (as well as other written employment policies and procedures) are becoming common.  Employers are well-advised to review their handbooks carefully for language that could give rise to a breach of contract lawsuit.

Another word of caution:   Employment laws vary from state to state.  This means that some employment policies may be lawful in some states and unlawful in others.  Employers should always first seek legal advice before publishing and distributing any handbooks or policy manuals to employees.

The purpose of this material and relating articles is to both provide information and facilitate general dialogue about various employment-related topics. No legal advice is being given and no attorney-client relationship is created. Please visit http://www.wingshr.com/hraccess/disclaimer.asp for further limitations and conditions.