{"id":55279,"date":"2022-11-11T12:20:31","date_gmt":"2022-11-11T17:20:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=55279"},"modified":"2026-05-14T09:11:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T13:11:53","slug":"how-to-develop-employee-handbook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/how-to-develop-employee-handbook\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Develop an Employee Handbook"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Employee handbooks cover essential topics for new hires and existing staff and provide a consistent resource for everyone to consult. But creating a thorough handbook takes work. This article shares suggestions on how to develop an employee handbook. Best news? You can read this, and there\u2019s no signature to prove you did so required.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Whether you plan to print out your handbook or let it live online, you can\u2019t underestimate the value of this resource for employees. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/why-you-need-an-employee-handbook\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Employee handbooks<\/a>:<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/company-culture-quest-mission-vision-values\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Help build culture<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Establish expectations<\/li>\n<li>Educate employees<\/li>\n<li>Support <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/employee-onboarding-that-leads-to-employee-engagement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">successful onboarding<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Free up HR resources<\/li>\n<li>Address compliance and legal needs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The employee handbook should be your easily accessible guide to policies and practices relating to employment-related matters. So, what\u2019s involved in constructing this resource? There are several steps to take.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/sebastian-herrmann-NbtIDoFKGO8-unsplash-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-55332\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/sebastian-herrmann-NbtIDoFKGO8-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Two coworkers shaking hands\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/sebastian-herrmann-NbtIDoFKGO8-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/sebastian-herrmann-NbtIDoFKGO8-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/sebastian-herrmann-NbtIDoFKGO8-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/sebastian-herrmann-NbtIDoFKGO8-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/sebastian-herrmann-NbtIDoFKGO8-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/sebastian-herrmann-NbtIDoFKGO8-unsplash-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/sebastian-herrmann-NbtIDoFKGO8-unsplash-50x33.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>1. Review &amp; revise company policies<\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019re assuming that you have already written down some company policies and procedures. If you haven\u2019t done that yet, <a href=\"https:\/\/sso.shrm.org\/IDBUS\/SHRM\/PORTAL-EE\/JOSSO\/SSO\/REDIR?josso_cmd=login&amp;josso_partnerapp_id=portal-sp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">survey your work environment<\/a> to identify and standardize practices.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Otherwise, you\u2019ll jump right in at the point where you are taking your existing practices and consolidating them into a readily-available handbook. Take this opportunity to have leadership and legal counsel review your current policies. Revisit the <a href=\"https:\/\/shawe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/gc-18_04-guidance-on-handbook-rules-post_boeing.pdf.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Labor Relations Board\u2019s Guidance on Handbook Rules<\/a> as well. It provides specific examples of workplace rules which the NLRB ruled unlawful in 2018. This can help you to shape confidentiality, conduct, social media policies, and more.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>When thinking about employee handbooks and the policies to include, let your culture and values guide your decisions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>2. Outline all you want to include<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s starting to sound like high school English class, right? Still, outlining all of the topics you plan to cover in your handbook can guide the book\u2019s development. Even listing the topic headings you would have in your handbook\u2019s Table of Contents can help to focus your efforts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Employee handbooks <a href=\"https:\/\/www.liveabout.com\/need-to-know-what-goes-in-an-employee-handbook-1918308\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">typically cover<\/a>:<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Overview and employment relationship<\/li>\n<li>General employment information<\/li>\n<li>Attendance at work<\/li>\n<li>Workplace professionalism<\/li>\n<li>Payroll information<\/li>\n<li>Benefits<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/how-to-address-quiet-quitting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Employee time off work<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Use of company equipment and electronics<\/li>\n<li>Performance expectations and evaluation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It can help to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.score.org\/blog\/how-create-employee-handbook-your-small-business-ultimate-guide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">look at other company\u2019s handbooks<\/a> for inspiration. Although, obviously, you don\u2019t want to use their content in your own book.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>3. Summarize each section<\/h2>\n<p>Draft a statement that explains each policy or procedure in the handbook. <a href=\"https:\/\/sso.shrm.org\/IDBUS\/SHRM\/PORTAL-EE\/JOSSO\/SSO\/REDIR?josso_cmd=login&amp;josso_partnerapp_id=portal-sp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Avoid the legal verbiage here<\/a>. These should be easy to read so that the employee can find what they\u2019re looking for more efficiently.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shrm.org\/ResourcesAndTools\/tools-and-samples\/Pages\/employee-handbooks.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sample employee handbook<\/a> can be seen on the SHRM website. You might also choose to work from one of these templates:<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.betterteam.com\/employee-handbook\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Betterteam<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/xtensio.com\/employee-handbook-template\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Xtensio <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/document360.com\/blog\/employee-handbook\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Document360<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getguru.com\/templates\/employee-handbook\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Guru<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rocketlawyer.com\/business-and-contracts\/employers-and-hr\/company-policies\/document\/employee-handbook\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RocketLawyer<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>4. Consider your audience<\/h2>\n<p>Any good writing considers the reader. In this case, you can make your employee handbook more engaging by including some visuals too. Charts and infographics break up the text, and can better present some of the more complicated information.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>You may also have readers in many different locations, so consider providing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/multilingual-cx-how-important-is-language-in-delivering-the-best-possible-customer-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">multilingual support<\/a> (just as you would for your customers).<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>5. Have a lawyer review the final version<\/h2>\n<p>Once you have finalized the handbook, hand it over to legal counsel to review. State or federal law requirements involving employee handbook policies differ. You may have done research to write your company policies, but you want an expert to make sure you\u2019re following guidelines. These can vary based on factors such as the number of employees within the company, the type of industry, or any collective bargaining agreement you have entered into.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Your employee handbook should be a living document, as well. You\u2019ll want to review and update it to comply with law changes and the evolution of your business. We\u2019ll discuss this further in the next blog in this series.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>6. Decide on your means of publication<\/h2>\n<p>Handbooks can be distributed to employees as a printed, bound document. Or you can host the employee handbook online, privately and securely.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Many companies today are moving to digital employee handbooks as they are easier to update and simple to access. Plus, your business saves the money and paper on a printed booklet that ends up in a file cabinet (or worse, the circular file).<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>Also, don\u2019t go overboard<\/h2>\n<p>When developing the employee handbook, take a careful and conscious read-through to see if you have included unnecessary information. Maybe you\u2019ll even decide its overkill to have a lengthy written policy about a particular aspect of work.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThousands of unnecessary policies are created every year,\u201d writes<a href=\"https:\/\/www.liveabout.com\/are-employee-handbooks-required-by-law-1917689\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> HR and management consultant Susan M. Heathfield<\/a>. If only a couple employees have a behavior you want to change, she says, \u201cdeal with the culprits as individuals. Don\u2019t subject the entire team to unneeded shackles.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>While you\u2019re doing the legwork to enshrine culture and establish policies and expectations, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/employee-experience-platform\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SogoEX<\/a>\u00a0can help transform your organization\u2019s corporate culture, attract better candidates, and improve employee retention. Learn more today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Employee handbooks cover essential topics for new hires and existing staff and provide a consistent resource for everyone to consult. But creating a thorough handbook takes work. This article shares suggestions on how to develop an employee handbook. Best news? You can read this, and there\u2019s no signature to prove you did so required. Whether you plan to print out your handbook or let it live online, you can\u2019t underestimate the value of this resource for employees. Employee handbooks: Help build culture Establish expectations Educate employees Support successful onboarding Free up HR resources Address compliance and legal needs The employee handbook should be your easily accessible guide to policies and practices relating to employment-related matters. So, what\u2019s involved in constructing this resource? There are several steps to take. 1. Review &amp; revise company policies We\u2019re assuming that you have already written down some company policies and procedures. If you haven\u2019t done that yet, survey your work environment to identify and standardize practices. Otherwise, you\u2019ll jump right in at the point where you are taking your existing practices and consolidating them into a readily-available handbook. Take this opportunity to have leadership and legal counsel review your current policies. Revisit the National Labor Relations Board\u2019s Guidance on Handbook Rules as well. It provides specific examples of workplace rules which the NLRB ruled unlawful in 2018. This can help you to shape confidentiality, conduct, social media policies, and more. When thinking about employee handbooks and the policies to include, let your culture and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":4955,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,156],"tags":[198,164,854,945,473,62,174],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.7.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Develop an Employee Handbook - Sogolytics Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An employee handbook is invaluable in the organization process, and we&#039;re showing you the best ways to develop one for your company!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/how-to-develop-employee-handbook\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Develop an Employee Handbook - Sogolytics Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An employee handbook is invaluable in the organization process, and we&#039;re showing you the best ways to develop one for your company!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/how-to-develop-employee-handbook\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sogolytics Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-11-11T17:20:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-14T13:11:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/employee-performance.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"476\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"714\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jenn Goddu\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/how-to-develop-employee-handbook\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/how-to-develop-employee-handbook\/\",\"name\":\"How to Develop an Employee Handbook - Sogolytics Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-11T17:20:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-14T13:11:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e279d58fbb23148c5be4fdcb53b4a454\"},\"description\":\"An employee handbook is invaluable in the organization process, and we're showing you the best ways to develop one for your company!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/how-to-develop-employee-handbook\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/how-to-develop-employee-handbook\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/how-to-develop-employee-handbook\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"How to Develop an Employee Handbook\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Sogolytics Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e279d58fbb23148c5be4fdcb53b4a454\",\"name\":\"Jenn Goddu\",\"description\":\"Jenn likes asking questions and getting answers, which makes Sogolytics a good match. 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