About this Employee Handbook Policy
This provision should be one of the first in the handbook. Because some courts have treated personnel handbooks as employment contracts, it’s important to include the following language:
“This handbook is a general statement of policy and serves as a guideline rather than an absolute rule.” This statement gives your organization flexibility in making employment decisions. While consistency in treatment of employees is important, there may be unique situations that require some deviation from the written policies.
“This handbook is not an employment contract, and employment is at-will unless otherwise provided by an employment contract.” It’s important to make it clear that the handbook should not be construed as a contract. It’s also important that the employees’ at-will status is explained to them so they understand that the employment relationship may be ended by either party, at any time, for any lawful reason. If an employment contract exists, make sure that the contract doesn’t contradict the handbook. If it does, the employment contract will most likely control.
“The organization can modify any provision or benefit in the handbook at any time.”
An employee handbook is usually a dynamic document that changes over time as the needs of the organization change. Include this language to provide flexibility in modifying your benefits and guidelines. If this language isn’t included, employees may have a legal cause of action when benefits are deleted or modified.
“This handbook supersedes all previous handbooks, policies, and guidelines.” This sentence is important from both a procedural and a legal perspective. Collect previous handbooks when distributing the new handbooks. This will help ensure that there is no confusion about which policies are currently in place.
In addition to the items above, your organization may wish to include its mission statement in this policy. Doing so is especially important for Christian colleges and universities. It can be a helpful tool to inform employees about your organization’s mission and vision.