Staff Handbook

This Staff Handbook (available as a “Download Now” Word document) will allow you to communicate clearly the employment policy and employment procedures which you expect your employees to follow during their employment with your company.

Well-written staff handbooks are crucial for any business because they set out clearly your company’s employment policies and employment procedures for every new employee.

This Staff Handbook is available as a template that you can easily customize for your company. All you need to do is download the Staff Handbook and insert the relevant names where marked.

The employment policies included within the staff handbook are:

Staff Handbook Section 1: Equal Opportunities Policy

It's important that employees understand what is deemed to be acceptable and unacceptable behaviour in relation to equal opportunities. If your business did have a claim of discrimination against it, having an equal opportunity policy that was used by the company could be used as part of the defence against the claim.

Staff Handbook Section 2: Health and Safety Policy

All businesses with five or more employees are legally required to have a written statement of the general policy in relation to health and safety. The health and safety policy in this staff handbook meets those requirements. 

You might want to add in additional sections to this staff policy to reflect any hazardous activities within your business.

Staff Handbook Section 3: Staff Drug and Alcohol Policy

The employment policy in this Staff Handbook is particularly important if your business is going to carry out random testing of employees in relation to drugs and alcohol. Without a written drugs and alcohol staff policy it might be difficult for a company to insist that an employee participates in any drug or alcohol testing arrangements.

Staff Handbook Section 4: Staff Email and Internet Policy

This is an area of increasing concern for businesses, with various surveys revealing that some employees do misuse the e-mail and internet systems at work. If you want your business to monitor your staff activities, there must be a written agreement in place, and this employment policy in the Staff Handbook meets those requirements.

Staff Handbook Section 5: Data Protection Policy

A business is legally required to have arrangements in place to ensure the safe storage and processing of data about employees. The data protection policy in this Staff Handbook includes a data consent form that employees should sign to indicate their agreement with the arrangements in place for data processing.

Staff Handbook Section 6: Maternity, Paternity, Adoption and Parental Leave Policy

There is comprehensive legislation covering all four areas of staff leave addressed in this employment policy. Companies must be sure that they follow the requirements of the law, and this section of the Staff Handbook sets out a process for addressing each employment leave issue lawfully.

Staff Handbook Section 7: Staff Flexible Working Policy

Employees who care for adults, or have a child aged 16 (18 if the child is disabled) and under are entitled to request flexible working. If the employee does make such a request, employment law sets out a procedure that must be followed in considering that request. Following the flexible working policy in this Staff Handbook will ensure that your business adheres to the requirements of employment law.

Staff Handbook Section 8: Staff Sickness Absence Policy

Employee absence can be a significant cost to a business. If employees know that sickness absence is being carefully monitored and managed, absence rates are likely to reduce, producing cost savings. The staff sickness absence policy in this Staff Handbook sets out a process for managing staff absence which is fair to the employee and also meets the needs of your business.

Staff Handbook Section 9: Whistleblowing Policy

This employment policy sets out the actions that staff should follow if they consider that something unlawful or inappropriate is happening in your business. The staff policy in this Staff Handbook emphasises that the first step should be to attempt to address this within the company, but if this does not resolve the problem external bodies might need to become involved.

Staff Handbook Section 10: Disciplinary and Dismissal Procedure

Within two months of the employee starting employment, the employer should write to the employee within a Written Statement of Initial Employment Particulars. Details of disciplinary rules should be contained within that statement. Having this dismissal and disciplinary procedure within the Staff Handbook, and referring to that within the written statement, meets your employment law requirements as the employer.

Staff Handbook Section 11: Grievance Procedure

As an employer, you are also required to detail the grievance procedure to employees within two months of the employee starting employment. The grievance procedure within this Staff Handbook meets those legal requirements.

Staff Handbook Section 12: Redundancy Procedure

Although businesses hope that they will be able to avoid redundancies, they are an unfortunate fact of company life. Employment law sets out clear rules on the redundancy procedure that should be followed when managing redundancies. Following the redundancy procedure within this Staff Handbook will ensure that the employment law requirements are met.

This template document will allow you to quickly and simply address all of these areas in your Staff Handbook, and be certain that you are using tried and tested terms to describe your staff policy without falling foul of employment law. Where there are areas in which many companies appreciate flexibility (e.g. retirement and holiday) our Staff Handbook offers you clear advice on completing these sections yourself.

This way you have the flexibility to produce the Staff Handbook that is right for your business with the minimal fuss.

Staff Handbook Contents

1. Introduction
2. Equal Opportunities Policy
3. Health and Safety Policy
4. Training
5. Business Expenses
6. Attendance and Time-keeping
7. Appearance
8. Drug and Alcohol Misuse Policy
9. Smoking
10. Use of Email and the Internet
11. Use of Telephones and Other Facilities
12. Acceptance of Gifts
13. Data Protection Policy
14. Maternity, Paternity, Adoption and Parental Leave Policy
15. Flexible Working Policy
16. Time Off for Dependants
17. Sickness Absence Policy
18. Whistleblowing Policy
19. Disciplinary and Dismissal Procedure
20. Grievance Procedure
21. Redundancy Procedure