If there’s ever a time to rethink your handbook, it’s now. The timeliness has less to do with the fast-approaching new year — the obvious time to roll out a replacement handbook — and more to do with the wave of change that recently swept the workplace.
“The pandemic sparked an awakening among people. They re-evaluated workplace norms and decided many no longer worked for them.
Workers’ new expectations may clash with employers’ old policies. Policies that ban flexibilities normalized by the pandemic may feel frustratingly out of date. And yet, many organizations punt on handbook refreshes. I think a lot of companies don’t update their employee handbooks as often as they should.
With the shift to hybrid work/Remote work, organizations must set clear expectations around communication, and performance. Managers and associates both play a significant role in making [hybrid work] successful within their teams, and HR teams have an opportunity to provide tools and guidelines to make it even easier.
With 2023 around the corner, now is the time for employers to consider updating their employee handbooks. Handbooks, handed out at orientation and often thereafter ignored, are an important compliance tool for employers addressing all manner of employment issues. And handbook policies can be a helpful tool when defending a variety of employment claims, such as wage and hour violations, harassment and discrimination lawsuits, and leave disputes.
