Model Employee Handbook

Introduction and Alignment

For this Dropbox assignment, you will read the Model Employee Handbook for Small Business written by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), and then review your company’s handbook (or the employee handbook of an organization with which you are familiar) for the purpose of making recommendations regarding which policies are fundamental (i.e., policies that should be kept or added), and which should be adjusted or removed.

Upon completion of this assignment, you should be able to:

• Determine which organization policies are fundamental and which need adjustment or removed following the review of an organization’s employee handbook using NFIB’s Model Employee Handbook for Small Business.

Resources

• Textbook: Employer’s Legal Handbook
• Report: NFIB Model Employee Handbook for Small Business

Background Information

The purpose of an employee handbook is to orient new employees with the company [and serve as a reference for current employees]. It is a resource that provides answers for the most frequently asked employee questions. Besides informing new employees about company policy, a good handbook emphasizes the at-will nature of employment and the company’s disciplinary and termination rights. Most importantly, it is a declaration of the employer’s rights and expectations. (NFIB, n.d., p. i)

Instructions

1. Review Chapter 2—“Personnel Practices” in The Employer’s Legal Handbook.
2. Download and read the NFIB Model Employee Handbook for Small Business
3. If your organization does not have an employee handbook, or you do not have access to an employee handbook for an organization with which you are familiar, then approach the assignment with the viewpoint that a handbook needs to be written for the first time. For a publicly-traded company or widely-known non-profit organization with which you are familiar, complete the Dropbox assignment as follows:
   1. 1. Introduction. (Complete as instructed in “a.” above.)
      2. Importance of an Employee Handbook. (Complete as instructed in “b.” above.)
      3. Organization Overview. (Complete as instructed above, selecting a company with which you are familiar.)
      4. Current state of the Employee Handbook. Explain the non-existing nature (or non-availability) of the employee handbook and the disadvantages for having no employee handbook—for both the employer and the employee. Since no handbook exists (or is unavailable), describe your recommendations for the required steps and procedures to (i.) create, (ii.) publish, and (iii.) distribute an employee handbook unique to the organization.

         NOTE: This section of the assignment is in contrast to “b. Importance of an Employee Handbook” which highlights the importance (and advantages) of having an employee handbook.

      5. Policy and Procedures Issues. Write a sample new policy specific to a real or imagined problem faced by the company with which you are familiar. Include the policy in the appendix of the paper. Make reference to the appendix in the body of the paper.
      6. Employee Handbook Review for Minimum Inclusions. Select a minimum of 3 of the 7 inclusions. Write a policy for each selection. Place each policy in a separate appendix page, limiting each policy to no more than one page, single-spaced.
      7. Employee Handbook Review—Keepers and Additions, Deletions, and Changes. Use the Model Employee Handbook for Small Business as the basis to suggest policies that should be found in the employee handbook for the organization with which you are familiar. The policies for this section are to be different policies than those previously discussed in sections “e.” and “f.” in your paper. Use the figure shown in letter “g.” above to list 6-8 policies. Identify each as fundamental, not needed, or adjusted when compared to the policies shown in the small business model handbook. Write a paragraph or two explaining your findings and recommendations. Make reference to the appendix in the body of the paper.
      8. Model Employee Handbook for Small Business—New Insights. (Complete as instructed “h.” above)
      9. Conclusion.
   1. Your paper should be 800-1,000 words in length, not including the title page, reference page, or appendix items. Appendix items are not included in the word count requirement.
   2. Use APA formatting. At a minimum, cite: (1) the Model Employee Handbook for Small Business and (2) an HR professional or informational website. Note that your company’s website may be substituted for the second resource.
   3. Answers must be substantive with use of the language of business and employment law. See the Assignment Criteria grading rubric for assignment expectations.
   4. Before submitting this assignment, thoroughly edit the written paper:
      1. Run a Word spelling and grammar check and make corrections as needed.
      2. Run a Grammarly report and make appropriate changes. Click on Grammarly to learn more about the software. Click on the following link for Grammarly sign-up to set up an account.
      3. Check for proper APA 6e Guide formatting, citations, and references.
      4. Checkmark the instructions for this assignment, and checkmark the rubric to be sure your paper has fulfilled all requirements.
   5. When you have completed your assignment and edited it, save a copy for yourself and submit a copy to your instructor using the Dropbox by the end of the workshop.