Personnel Policies
It is vitally important to establish sound guidelines outlining both the employer’s and the employee’s rights and responsibilities in writing. An employee handbook, sometimes referred to as the personnel policy or personnel manual, can be a valuable communication and employee relation tool for this purpose. Issues such as working hours, overtime policies, vacation and sick leave, official holidays, sexual harassment policies, and disciplinary procedures should be addressed in the handbook to ensure that both parties understand rules, regulations, and expectations, as well as federal personnel issues such laws the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). An employee handbook can be helpful in maintaining consistency among supervisors, avoiding misunderstandings about workplace policies, supporting disciplinary actions, and avoiding charges of unlawful discrimination. A handbook should be drafted carefully, in plain language that can be easily understood by employees and should be reviewed and approved by counsel. It should then be monitored constantly to be sure it remains up to date.
The LGC Human Resource Department has several sample individual policies on file for Member review. The following represent two sample policies on sexual harassment and family and medical leave:
Members may request other sample policies by e-mailing Barry Cox at bcox@nhlgc.org. Members of LGC’s Property-Liability Trust may obtain a sample of a comprehensive employee handbook by e-mailing lmclaughlin@nhlgc.org.
LGC’s Human Resource Department can also develop a customized personnel policy for a Member using model guidelines and policies while incorporating a member’s unique administrative procedures. Contact Barry Cox at bcox@nhlgc for more information .
