Does your employee handbook speak to your core values?

by Nov 5, 2018

Picture this.

It’s your first day at your new job. You’re nervous and unsure of what to expect, but can’t wait to get started!

You get there on time, and of course HR goes right into paperwork. Bummed, but not deterred, you start filling out the necessary evil that is new hire paperwork.

Finally you sign that last form. Your hand is cramping, your fingers covered in ink. Then BAM! HR slaps a 100+ page employee handbook on your desk, tells you to read it, and heads back to his or her office.

Yes, the dreaded employee handbook. It’s the first task organizations tend to give their new hires, and though it has the power to set  a positive tone for new hires, it’s often underutilized.

You can use your handbook to set the tone for your new hires, but most organizations just download something off the internet. Especially if you’re proud of your organization’s culture, your handbook should exemplify your core values.

Here are some examples of how your employee handbook could be in direct violation of your core values:

Integrity. Having the core value of integrity but requiring employees to follow rigid guidelines that insinuate bad intentions is controversial (e.g., Asking for a death certificate for bereavement leave). I mean, how can an employee have the opportunity to actually exemplify integrity if the organization already views them with suspicion?

Fun. If your handbook reads like stereo instructions, it probably gives the opposite impression of fun. If you say your organization is fun, you have to put your money where your mouth is. Add a pop of color and some pictures to actually show you value enthusiasm.

Innovation. For one, it’s not exactly an “innovative” core value, now is it? It also means that your handbook should be different and show how creative the organization can be. It could even be something simple like delivering the handbook via drone to the employees desk. Now that’s innovative!

Act like an owner. This core value sounds amazing, but consider what it really means. An owner likely has a flexible schedule, so if you have a policy in your handbook that requires rigid scheduling or makes requesting time off unnecessarily difficult, you’re failing to treat employees like owners.

Honestly I could go on, but I think you get my point.

Core values can only drive a positive culture if you engrain them into anything and everything the organization does, including that darn handbook.

I challenge you to review your core values, and take the time to actually read your handbook.

If you find you need to make some changes, I’ve got more information on this subject on my webinar “Culture and Compliance: Why & How Both Drive Business Success” on November 7th at 10 am PST.

I will be providing tips and tricks for creating a handbook that not only ensures compliance but also speaks to your culture (among many other useful nuggets on other HR topics).

Sincerely,

           Catherine

P.S. Seriously, you don’t want to miss it!

About Catherine Mattice

Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is President of consulting and training firm, Civility Partners, and has been successfully providing programs in workplace bullying and building positive workplaces since 2007. Her clients include Fortune 500’s, the military, several universities and hospitals, government agencies, small businesses and nonprofits. She has published in a variety of trade magazines and has appeared several times on NPR, FOX, NBC, and ABC as an expert, as well as in USA Today, Inc Magazine, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, and more. Catherine is Past-President of the Association for Talent Development (ATD), San Diego Chapter and teaches at National University. In his book foreword, Ken Blanchard called her book, BACK OFF! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work, “the most comprehensive and valuable handbook on the topic.” She recently released a second book entitled, SEEKING CIVILITY: How Leaders, Managers and HR Can Create a Workplace Free of Bullying.

From Desperation to Determination: Reflecting on 16 Years of Growth

I just got an email from a spammer offering SEO help for my very old website — www.NoWorkplaceBullies.com. I hadn’t thought about that site in ages, so I typed in the link... and there it was. The original website I built the day I started my business — though it...

Sick of HR getting the blame for bullying? (For Dummies Excerpt)

As I was writing my upcoming book, Navigating a Toxic Workplace For Dummies (Wiley), I was reminded about all the research on workplace bullying that indicates HR gets the blame for bullying, HR is not helpful, and, in fact, according to the research, most often makes...

Take Care of Your Employees’ Mental Health: Employers’ Role in Addressing Burnout (Excerpt from For Dummies)

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. A good time to reflect on how work environments either support or sabotage employee well-being. Burnout is on the rise and employers’ role in addressing burnout has never been more important. If you’ve ever worked in a toxic...

4 Essential Positive Workplace Training Topics (Excerpt from For Dummies)

I’m just going to jump right in here and say that training alone won’t fix toxic behavior or turn around your toxic workplace. If it could, we’d all be ordering workshops like takeout. When positive workplace training topics are done right as part of a broader and...

3 Remote-Specific Challenges & How to Overcome Them (Excerpt from For Dummies)

May 1st is International Workers’ Day. Hooray! I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful and grateful for my overseas team members. They are the wheels that keep this company moving forward! Now that that’s out of my system, let’s talk about you. Whether you have...

Diversity Isn’t a Dirty Word: Where We Went Wrong

Earlier this year, I wrote a blog titled “DEI needed if hiring on merit is your goal” in response to Trump’s vow to “create a society that is blind to color and based on merit”. Based on the response I received, it quickly became clear that Trump isn’t the only one...

4 Smart Ways to Use AI to Build Civility at Work

Use AI to build civility. SHRM reports that 66% of U.S. employees have experienced or witnessed incivility at work. And those moments of disrespect don’t stay isolated. They ripple. Research from Christine Porath at Georgetown University shows that incivility is...

Offensive Terms to Avoid: What You Say Matters More Than You Think

According to SHRM, 66% of U.S. employees have experienced or witnessed incivility in their workplace. The most common forms include addressing others disrespectfully and interrupting others while they are speaking. Meanwhile, a Deloitte survey reveals that 84% of...

Celebrate Diversity With Music: A Playlist for Inclusivity

A few years back, we put together a playlist for inclusivity in the office and it quickly became one of our most popular blogs, proving that something as simple as music can strike a big chord (pun intended) as people find solidarity in it. So we thought, why not do...

Join our FREE WEBINAR – Fostering a Workplace Where Feedback Fuels Change

Imagine this: A senior leader makes an offhanded, inappropriate remark in a team meeting. The room tenses, eyes drop, and a few uncomfortable chuckles fill the silence. No one speaks up. You’re caught off guard, unsure what to do. Later, someone from that meeting...