Beckworth Beneficial Blog

29 Sep

Posted by: Admin

Posted on: Sep 29, 2023 at 1:31 pm



How Often Should You Update Your Employee Handbook?

An employee handbook is an essential part of your organization. These resources can establish and maintain consistency and order in your workplace by outlining various official policies, practices and procedures. However, as your company grows and evolves, you may need to revisit your employee handbook to ensure it remains current, accurate and sufficient.  

What Should Your Employee Handbook Contain? 

An incomplete employee handbook may be of little value to your company and its employees. After all, if the information in these documents is inaccurate or unreliable, your workers may be unable to learn what they need to know about your organization and its operations. To ensure that your employee handbook is adequately populated, make sure its contents include the following: 

  • Company mission, vision and values
  • Conduct policies (e.g., anti-harassment and nondiscrimination)
  • Dress code
  • Electronic device rules
  • Employee benefits information
  • Employee assessment practices (e.g., reviews, promotions and raises)
  • Disciplinary and termination measures
  • Onboarding procedures


When Should Employee Handbooks Be Reviewed? 

As your organization changes, you must diligently reassess your circumstances and adjust how you conduct business accordingly. These adaptations should be added to your employee handbook in a timely manner to maintain the accuracy of these resources. If employees only have access to an outdated handbook, they may operate under false information, which could lead to misunderstandings and even lawsuits. 

With this in mind, your organization should revisit its employee handbook at least once per year. During this process, pay particular attention to the following topics: 

  • Employment laws—Your company’s legal obligations may change on short notice or without significant publicity, particularly at a state and local level. While revisiting your employee handbook, ensure you do so with current knowledge on these subjects. 
  • Labor trends—Various trends and patterns in the employment landscape may make certain changes advisable. For example, with the recent rise in the popularity of remote and hybrid work, your organization may wish to revisit various policies and procedures, including expanding candidate searches to a broader range of geographic areas. 
  • Employee benefits—As your workplace evolves, your employees’ values and priorities may change. Employee benefits provide a valuable form of secondary compensation and may have a significant impact on attraction and retention. As such, you should revisit these programs regularly to ensure your offerings are of interest to your workforce to ensure maximum return on investment.

Although reviewing your employee handbook annually may be sufficient, your leaders should also be aware of any significant events that may make an immediate reassessment necessary, such as natural disasters and legal changes. 

We’re Here to Help 

At Beckworth Beneficial, our dedicated team has the knowledge and experience to help your organization suitably maintain its employee handbook. We will work with you to analyze your circumstances, identify any needs and issues, and ensure your business is equipped with the tools and resources it needs to thrive. Contact us today to get started.


NOTICE: This blog and website are for educational and informational use only and do not offer exhaustive legal, insurance, or tax advice. No broker-client relationship is established by your use of the site. For professional advice, consult a licensed expert in your state.