It has happened to many people, usually with some confusion.

They have started a new position at a company and have been given a copy of a company handbook. For new staff members, this may be odd. However, if you are a business owner or soon to become one and have a growing staff team, you will need to have one of these books on hand, for more reasons than you may think.

A company handbook is more than an introduction to your company. It is about helping new staff to integrate, to highlight your company's vision, and, of course, to highlight to employees what is expected of them.

If you have never written a company handbook before, or need to update your current one as your business grows, read on. You will be walked through how to do so in five simple steps.

Why Write a Company Handbook?

In a word, the reason to write a company handbook is clarity.

Any new employees in your place of work will be able to read it, familiarise themselves with it, and use it as a guide on how to act responsibly at your company. It will also help to outline the culture of your company, as well as be part of settling into a new job.

When there are new laws, regulations, or changes to company policies, updating a company handbook will be crucial for employees to be able to note the changes, and for your business to record that you have adapted to legal requirements. So, it's more than just a book to give out at orientation!

With that out of the way, what are the steps to writing an accessible company handbook?

  1. Define The Purpose

When it comes to writing a company handbook, what is the purpose?

Are you aiming it at new staff members as part of a welcome packet, or are you aiming to create it to highlight the rules and regulations of your business? For some employers, it can be easier to separate the legal requirements of their staff from handbooks, and they may choose to put said legal areas into a contract. However, if you are a smaller company, putting codes of conduct into the company handbook can save a lot of effort and money.

If you aren't sure what to include in your company handbook, talk to an employment solicitor, who will be able to outline what may be useful for your business.

  1. Investigate Legal and Industry Requirements

If you are writing a company handbook for a flower shop, it is going to be different than if you are writing one for a care home. Ergo, you should look into the legal requirements of the area you work in, and you should include what your employees will need to know.

You should also include key areas such as anti-discrimination policies, safety regulations in the workplace, and the rights of your employees in relation to leave. In some cases, it may even be prudent to include a map of the workplace, so that new staff can learn where the fire exits are and where the fire extinguishers are located.

  1. Use Legally Appropriate Language

This is where it can be tricky!

In this area, you will likely need to hire legal employment help, to ensure that the language you use is appropriate, correct, and clear. This will prevent legal issues from arising, and it will also prevent confusion among new members of staff as to what is expected of them.

Also, ensure that any legal help you seek is trained in your area of business, to ensure that they have training in what is required in the handbook.

  1. Distribute

If it is your first time writing a company handbook, then you should seek to distribute it to current staff members. Ask for feedback and, if needed, make changes with the help of the aforementioned legal team.

You should aim to distribute both digital and paper copies of the handbook, so you can be sure that every staff member has access to it.

  1. Revise Yearly

Writing a company handbook is not a one-time thing. You will need to update it regularly; this will usually be an annual event for many companies. It is vital to seek legal guidance on this, as it will help you to keep everything up to code and in line with the law. If there are industry changes in your area in between the yearly rewriting, you can usually create additional parts of the handbook and attach them periodically, rather than rewriting the entire document.