Employment Contracts & Staff Handbook

Why does your business need a Staff Handbook?

Staff Handbooks can make useful reference points for both your business and its employees. It will help you to understand and comply with your legal obligations towards your employees, providing you with guidance as to how to appropriately manage difficult employment situations as and when they arise. At the same time, a Staff Handbook will set out the standard expected of your employees and will help them to understand what is required of them in given situations.

Some policies are required by law (such as Health and Safety policies for businesses with five or more employees) but, in other cases, policies and procedures can be included in a Staff Handbook as a matter of good practice. As a minimum, we would always advise employers to have in place Disciplinary and Grievance procedures, a Health and Safety policy and an Equal Opportunities policy.

Should the Staff Handbook be contractual?

We recommend that the contents of a Staff Handbook remain non-contractual so that it can be updated whenever necessary without consultation with your employees. However, it is important that the contents are clear and unambiguous so that there can be no dispute as to whether your employees are complying with its terms.

Let us help

We regularly advise employers on their policies and procedures in line with current employment law. Whether your business needs to introduce a Staff Handbook or needs one reviewed and updated, our team of expert employment solicitors will be happy to discuss your requirements with you.

We can advise you on the policies and procedures we would recommend your business includes in its Staff Handbook based on your specific business needs. We work with businesses of all sizes ensuring that the policies are bespoke to their business requirements.