Employee handbook
An employee handbook is an employer’s written collection of policies, such as attendance, conduct, benefits, safety, and leave, that new hires review and acknowledge.
New hires review and formally acknowledge the handbook as part of onboardingOnboarding. Employee onboarding is the process that turns an accepted job offer into a working employment record, ready for payroll, benefits, and system access.Click to open the term. The acknowledgment, not merely a handbook on file, is your evidence that a policy was communicated and accepted. A handbook is generally not an employment contract, especially with a clear at-will disclaimer and a reserved right to change policies. Language that reads as a guaranteed benefit or a promise of continued employment can undercut that disclaimer. You typically have employment counsel review the handbook before rollout and again when a state or local law changes something it covers.
What counts as a valid acknowledgment?
When you update the handbook, you need to show who acknowledged the old version and who acknowledged the new one. Without version history, a document title is weak evidence that the current policy, rather than an outdated one, was communicated. If the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) covers you, handbook policies must respect employees’ Section 7 rights, including protected concerted activity, such as coworkers discussing pay. You may not adopt, maintain, or enforce work rules that reasonably tend to inhibit those rights. Supervisors are outside the NLRA’s definition of employee.
- The exact document version the employee reviewed
- The employee’s identity and how it was authenticated
- The date and time
- The acknowledgment language itself
- The signature or acceptance method
- Any exception or refusal the employee raised
- A handbook on file with no acknowledgment
- A signed checkbox on a form
- A single document title without version history
General information, not legal or tax advice. Apply current federal and state rules with qualified guidance.