“The reasons for employee handbooks are many,” says business consultant Jan L. Makela in The Frederick News-Post, “but primarily, they are an employer’s first line of defense in the event that a claim is filed against you by a current or former employee. If you don’t have written policies, you have no defense.”

We have been touting the value of handbooks for years.   See our two-part “Top Ten Essential Components Of An Employee Handbook,” posted on July 15, 2010 and August 2, 2010.

You will find that Jan’s short article supports our mantra:  “You Need A Handbook!”   It describes the typical contents of a good employee handbook, such as, for example, anti-discrimination policies, standard of conduct, general employment procedures, employee benefits, and nondisclosure agreements, and the reasons for inserting these.

“Handbooks are an absolute necessity for a business,” says Jan, and the “intent is to spell out for the benefit of the employees and your company what can be provided and what the expectations are in working for your company.”