A staff handbook (also known as an employee or company handbook) is a manual which contains information on employment policies for staff. Although not mandatory, a staff handbook is a useful way to inform your staff about any policies and rules that they need to be aware of. In fact, there are certain policies (eg health and safety, disciplinary procedures) which you are legally required to give to employees, so it’s a good idea to include these in a handbook.
What a staff handbook should include
There are no set rules on what should be included in a staff handbook; the content will depend on what is appropriate for your individual business. Our Staff handbook and policies template can be customised to suit your needs.
The template includes policies on:
- sick pay;
- annual leave;
- equal opportunities;
- maternity/paternity leave allowances;
- acceptable behaviour policies eg anti-harassment or anti-bullying policies;
- health and safety;
- privacy and data protection;
- dress code;
- grievance and disciplinary procedures;
- family friendly policies;
- staff behaviour related policies eg in relation to bullying, harassment, social media, smoking, drugs and alcohol;
- flexible working;
- jury service; and
- anti-bribery and whistleblowing.
See our detailed guidance on staff handbooks for further information. See also our guidance on HR policies, for an explanation of which policies are mandatory and which are optional.
Who does a staff handbook apply to?
Types of staff a handbook applies to
Some policies contained within a staff handbook will only apply to employees and some will apply to all of your staff. The handbook should inform all staff members of the relevant policies and be clear about who each policy applies to. It is especially important to show which policies are only applicable to employees because non-employees are not entitled to the same rights and protections as employees and otherwise might seek to claim rights that are not owed to them.
When new staff join, asking them to sign a confirmation stating that they have read and agreed to abide by the policies in your handbook is a good idea. This type of confirmation is included in our template offer letter.
Be clear about whether handbook policies form part of your staff contracts
You should be clear about whether you want your staff handbook policies to form part of your employees’ employment contracts. If your policies won’t form part of their employment contracts, your handbook should state this. The handbook should also make it clear that you may amend policies from time to time. Our Staff handbook and policies contains a template with wording to this effect.
You must also be careful about referring to the staff handbook in any of your individual staff contracts, as this can cause the policies in your handbook to become legally binding.
If you want to change a policy in your staff handbook that means your employees’ contracts will change, you’ll need to follow certain rules (you’re often required to get your employees’ consent). You can find further guidance on changing employment contracts in our Q&A.
If you are not sure whether a policy contained in your handbook is contractual, consider taking legal advice. This is especially recommended if the change you want to make is likely to have a significant impact on your staff. For access to a specialist lawyer in a few simple steps, you can use our Ask a Lawyer service.
Updating your handbook
It’s a good idea to review your handbook annually to make sure it’s still applicable to your business or whether you need to make any changes. Any new version must also include an updated issue date in case you need to identify which version was in place at a particular point in time.
The content in this article is up to date at the date of publishing. The information provided is intended only for information purposes, and is not for the purpose of providing legal advice. Sparqa Legal’s Terms of Use apply.
Marion joined Sparqa Legal as a Senior Legal Editor in 2018. She previously worked as a corporate/commercial lawyer for five years at one of New Zealand’s leading law firms, Kensington Swan (now Dentons Kensington Swan), and as an in-house legal consultant for a UK tech company. Marion regularly writes for Sparqa’s blog, contributing across its commercial, IP and health and safety law content.