Staff Handbooks and Work Policies

Staff handbooks set out the most crucial rules relating to working practices. A staff handbook acts as a reference book for employees and helps develop a business's culture. A handbook can extend far beyond the basic legal requirements and can cover anything from simple rules about holiday or sickness absence to your company’s ethos and history. It will usually also incorporate policies on equal opportunities, harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

There are certain principles an employer must respect with regard to equal opportunities. An employment tribunal will expect to see these principles in policy documents. These policies do not have to be incorporated in a staff handbook.

Whether you use a handbook or not, you are also expected to have trained your managers in the operation of these policies. We can help you with training if required.