Use your handbook to improve the employee experience

Creating wonderful employee experience is essential to a successful talent strategy. And an employee handbook, though often seen as just a compliance obligation, can help. An employee handbook can play a key role in improving the employee experience by serving as a comprehensive guide for employees and setting the tone for the organization’s culture.

In this guide, we offer key recommendations to help you leverage your handbook to improve the employee experience.

Ask for employee input

Organizations often write handbooks in a vacuum. HR sits down, drafts policies, has the handbook reviewed by an attorney and/or upper management, and then distributes the handbook to all employees.

One step you can add that will make a larger impact on the employee experience is to get input from employees on the policies. Welcoming different viewpoints may empower employees to provide their thoughts without fear of judgment, leading to a more psychologically safe environment and a more diverse perspective.

Approaching employees for feedback on the entire handbook may be too big of an ask, so select specific policies that would benefit the most from employee input. Some policies are leadership or compliance driven and will not need employee input (e.g., confidentiality, discipline, overtime, etc.) but getting employees’ thoughts on other policies, like attendance, dress codes and holidays, could help the organization be more responsive to employee needs.

To help target specific policies, you can also reach out to employee resource groups (ERGs) and conduct voluntary anonymous employee surveys.

Promote the organization’s “why”

An organization’s “why” is its purpose. It’s what motivates an organization—and its employees—to continue to push forward to deliver value to its customers or service recipients. Successfully communicating the organization’s “why” in the employee handbook helps inspire employees by connecting their individual work to the greater purpose of the organization. This, in turn, enhances the employee experience.

To be effective, an organization’s “why,” which usually materializes as a purpose statement, can’t boil down to generic statements or platitudes like “bring as much value to our customers as possible,” or “continue to push the boundaries of innovation.” It has to speak specifically to what sets the organization apart.

In addition to adding your “why,” directly to the employee handbook, you can also use it to guide and frame other policies or statements. For example, your “why” can inform the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) statement, or the environmental, social and governance (ESG) statement, both of which can also be included in the handbook alongside their respective policies.

Include human-centric policies

When reviewing your handbook, consider employee needs and values as people, not just employees. Then, find ways to fashion human-centric policies that align with those needs and values.

Doing this supports the employee experience by treating your employees as people first and employees second. It also communicates the entire value of what the employer has to offer, from pay and benefits to culture. This is particularly impactful for today’s workforce, which values work-life balance, career growth and recognition, and a work culture that embraces DEI.

To align with employee needs and values, consider human-centric policies that address the following:

Safe and inclusive culture

Policies that make it clear the organization seeks and supports a diverse and inclusive culture and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind are vital. This includes the following policies:

• DEI.
• Equal Employment Opportunity.
• Anti-Harassment and Anti-Bullying.
• Open-Door.

When they’re backed by leadership buy-in and action, these policies help employees perform at their best and progress in their careers. They also help reduce the emotional tax, which employees pay when they feel different from peers because of race, religion, gender or ethnicity, for example.

Additionally, by having an open door for reporting concerns, management makes it clear it cares about employee issues and stands willing to help. When employees know they can communicate forthrightly and timely with management, organizations can quickly resolve issues that undermine safety and inclusion.

Health and wellness

Beyond basic health insurance benefits, there are several other types of wellness initiatives worth highlighting in the handbook. For instance:

• Gym membership reimbursement.
• Wellness app subscriptions.
• Menopause support.
• Financial counseling, including retirement counseling.
• Weight loss support.
• Chronic condition management.
• Tobacco cessation.
• Substance abuse therapy.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Your medical benefits plans may include some of these programs. However, if you don’t have a group health plan, or your plan doesn’t include these programs, you could address them in separate policies in the employee handbook.

Employees may be motivated to care for their physical and mental health if provided incentives such as lower insurance premiums or other rewards. Keep in mind that any policy considered a “wellness program” may be subject to federal laws that address employee privacy and nondiscrimination, such as the following, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and others.

There may also be state counterparts to the above laws that should be considered when drafting policies.

Time away from work

Another valuable benefit for employees that impact the employee experience is time away from work. Whether or not you already have paid leave of some kind, consider if there is room for additional types of leave and time off to support work-life balance and employee well-being beyond what you are legally required to provide.

Some policies that you might consider for the employee handbook include:

• Personal leave.
• Family medical leave.
• Holidays.
• Floating holidays.
• Vacation.
• Bereavement leave.
• Sick leave.
• Volunteer time off.

Employees feel more autonomous and valued when allowed some flexibility in their schedules to deal with emergencies or when they need a break.

Certain employers are subject to the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or similar state programs. But if your employees are not eligible for those, including some leave for family medical situations should be explored. In addition to supporting employees in different stages of their lives or through unforeseen family events, these policies improve employee wellness.

Flexible work

Employers recognize the connection between flexible work options and recruitment, retention, engagement and well-being. According to a 2023 XpertHR survey, organizations have increased the availability of flexible work options for a variety of reasons, but the top reasons cited included improving employees’ work-life balance and promoting employee wellness, both key contributors to the employee experience.

If you’ve determined your employees want more flexibility regarding where or when they work, include a written policy for flexible work, or more specifically, hybrid or remote work, so that everyone follows the same rules. In addition to preventing potential discrimination claims, a policy helps build trust and promote flexible work practices that contribute to the overall success of the business.

Don’t forget to include these key provisions in a flexible work policy:

• Eligibility. Make sure criteria is non-discriminatory.
• Expectations. Set out core work hours, responsibilities and work location requirements.
• Security. Communicate security protocols to safeguard company data, computer equipment and IT systems.
• Reservation of Rights. Ensure there is no alteration of employment at-will status and that permission to work remotely can be revoked.
• Compliance. Address tax implications, leave and accommodations.

Career development

When employees feel unappreciated, undervalued or limited in their career growth, it can damage the employee experience, manifesting in disengagement from work, low performance and increased turnover. It can also lead to physical illness and mental stress. To combat these negative outcomes, programs supporting career development, rewards and other recognition can be helpful and should be included in the handbook.

Even smaller organizations can benefit from formalizing career development and upskilling opportunities. Consider a policy that outlines when employees are eligible for development and promotion and how the process works.

Although leadership may be resistant, HR can serve employee and employer interests by advocating for paid development opportunities, such as:

• Job-related certifications.
• Tuition Reimbursement (including training schools).
• Continuing education opportunities.

The most effective career development policy will provide transparency on how employees can access development programs, who qualifies, and the requirements. Employees who take advantage of these programs may feel more engaged at work, more content and less stressed as a result of employer investment in their career growth and development.

Use inclusive language in the handbook

An inclusive culture supports a great employee experience by helping employees feel welcome and safe to be themselves. One quick, yet very important way to do this is to ensure your handbook uses inclusive language.

The following are a few common language changes to support this effort:

Prioritize the handbook reading experience

Finally, when using an employee handbook to improve the employee experience, the handbook itself is only as effective as it is easy to read and navigate. Consider the following practical recommendations to improve the handbook’s reading experience:

• Use an easy-to-read font (and font size) that is listed as an accessible font for people with dyslexia. Also consider narrower margins to make each page less overwhelming.
• Include navigational elements such as a table of contents with anchor links, distinct headers and “back to top” buttons.
• Ensure the handbook can be accessed online. Carefully consider where you’d like the handbook to live so that it’s easy to find. This is particularly important if you have multiple handbooks for separate regions.
• Always include contact information where appropriate.
• To increase familiarity with the handbook, include a handbook orientation in employee onboarding and refer to it in regular communications where it might be helpful.