Employee Handbooks Are Valuable Tools for Small Businesses
In Michigan, a business is not required to have an employee handbook. But, I always advise my clients that it is a good idea to have one. Employee handbooks inform business owners and managers about the laws governing their day-to-day activities and help companies comply with state and federal regulations. They usually summarize the law and contain compliance checklists. Compliance failures can result in bad publicity, distracting lawsuits, and costly fines.
A typical Michigan employee handbook is about 20-40 pages long and provides practical guidance to company employees on how to comply with company policies. A good employee handbook also will help a company's managers comply with the law as it relates to the company's relationship with its employees.
A properly prepared employee handbook should be used by a company's employees and managers as a reference guide, to be kept handy on desktops and credenzas.
An employee handbook is a very important document -- and should be prepared only with close consultation and direction from a Michigan lawyer with expertise in employee handbooks. Although Michigan companies are not required to have an employee handbook, once a business places one in service, there are certain legal requirements that must be met.
Although there are publishers that purport to sell generic sample employee handbooks that a business can then supposedly customize on their own, using such a handbook could result in disaster. These generic handbooks almost never include state-specific provisions that must be contained in a Michigan business's employee handbook.
My practice includes preparing employee handbooks for Michigan companies. If you would like more information, feel free to call me at 248-952-0400 or visit my website -- http://www.hamblinlaw.com -- for more information.
