DISCLAIMER: This post contains general information about employee handbooks. It is not legal advice. If you have questions about employee policies, we strongly recommend you schedule a consultation with an employment attorney in each of the jurisdictions where you operate.
If I were to call you today and ask about your sick pay, sexual harassment, or other employee policy, would you know what to tell me? Do you even know where to find the latest copy of your employee handbook? Or do you trust yourself to do what’s right in the moment, without reviewing your procedures?
As an employment attorney and mediator since 2002, I have seen a lot of employers and employees go with their gut instincts more than the written policies. Their employee handbooks and operations manuals aren’t relatable. When they could be most useful, they are forgotten on shelves or in electronic folders.
The KARR Method of Learning
Written policies are just one step in a deep learning process. They deliver the knowledge, but your employees and managers also need you to connect the dots for them. Show them how to apply that knowledge by incorporating anonymous polling, quizzes, question and answer sessions, and role plays into your training sessions. Then, reinforce the behavior you want to see by acknowledging it when you do see it. When conflicts arise, resolve them and move on.
- Knowledge
- Application
- Reinforcement
- Resolution
Personalized Policies for Executive Decision-Making
In a YouTube video series, I’ve shared “Cliff’s” story. He was a well-intentioned employer who found himself entangled in employee conflicts, despite having handbook he created from a standard template. Guided more by intuition than by the established guidelines in the handbook, he frequently took actions inconsistent with his own policies.
Cliff was too busy doing the work of his business to learn what were supposedly his business’ policies. Spending so much of his day working side-by-side with his employees, he often forgot he was the boss. When they requested time off, told sexually-inappropriate jokes, or make mistakes on projects, he tried to be cool and let things slide. They did.
Here’s what we did to get him back on top of his business:
- Reviewed current policies. We began with an in-depth policy review, identifying gaps and inconsistencies.
- Customized all policies and aligned them with the business’ values, industry, and goals. One size doesn’t fit all. The generic employee handbook template he dowloaded from a random internet site was okay to get him started, but he needed to make sure it reflected his business. We also had to correct some of the policies written for employers outside of New York.
- Created systems to remind and reinforce policies. A few calendar reminders and email templates helped Cliff combat policy detachment. Both he and his employees have been referring back to the handbooks and manuals more often, which has reduced conflicts and errors.
Beyond the Handbook: Practical Strategies for Leaders
In my DIY Conflict Resolution book, Action Five is Stay on PARR (Plan, Act, Revise, Repeat) to remind you that conflict resolution is an ongoing process. Even in employment settings where employees are generally happy with their situations and appreciate their employers (and vice versa), there will be occasional disputes about how to:
- Navigate changes
- Resolve errors
- Respond to accidents or natural disasters
When such disruptions occur, the most effective leaders define conflicts succinctly (Action One), identify competing personal interests (Action Two), play with the widest range of possible solutions (Action Three), and create the future with a specific, measurable action plan (Action Four). You won’t find these in a standard employee policy.