Remember your Employee Practices Handbook? Have you look at it since the start of COVID? Be honest…
We understand that there has been quite a lot going on over the last few months. There’s a lot to think about, are customers going to come back to your business? What about employees? Where can you cut costs to stay profitable? We get it, rethinking your employee practices handbook may not be your first priority… but it should be.
Your physical workspace will not look the same, as you invite employees to come back to work. Consider this, your employees are likely confused and concerned about returning to physical workspaces, and they need guidance to feel safe and cared about within your organization.
Here are a few things you should be updating…
Consider updating your attendance policies. You should update remote work guidelines, which include guidance based on how employees should communicate with their team, track hours, and protect the company’s information. Capacity limits also might need to be updated–who will work from home? How many people can be in the office at one time? Lastly, consider refining your travel policy to limit the amount your employees must travel for work, and how employees should travel if it cannot be avoided.
Next, you should consider the Company Culture and Values portion of your Employee Practices Handbook. Use this area of your handbook to remind your employees that their health and safety is your top priority. Communicate the steps you are taking to keep them safe, and outline the new processes and procedures in place to ensure their safety. Further outline and detail these procedures in the ‘Workplace Safety’ section of your handbook.
The Workplace Safety portion of your handbook should be updated with everything you are putting in place to ensure your employee’s safety. Outline the ways you are implementing social distancing, how to handle in-person meetings, your limitations on communal space, facility updates, customer capacity limits, hygiene recommendations, your COVID-19 testing policy, and what to do when an employee gets sick on the job.
Aside from the physical ways you are protecting your employees, you should also update how your leave policies are updated to keep employees safe. There have been multiple federal emergency legislation to update laws and regulations surrounding employee leave. Update your policies within the workplace to ensure employees who do not feel safe returning to the workplace can find other ways to work away from the office.
Lastly, consider updating your Equal Opportunity Employment and Conduct-Behavior sections. Your Equal Opportunity Employment Policy should include a statement providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals in accordance with ADA guidelines. You may want to update this statement to include policies for employees who may be part of vulnerable populations in relation to COVID-19. Your Conduct and Behavior section should be updated to include prohibiting the harassments or discrimination of employees who have been sick or are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.
So, have you updated your Employee Practices Handbook since the start of COVID? If not, now’s the time.
We know there’s a lot to do as you continue to move forward with your business during this uncertain time. We want to help. Our experts in culture operations can help your HR department optimize company culture throughout your organization to create engaged and successful employees. Contact us today to see how we can collaborate with your company to create a brighter future!