When was the last time you read your employee handbook? How often do employees forget what’s in their handbooks until it’s too late to review the policies because a disciplinary meeting has already been scheduled?
It’s ironic that employers spend so much time and money creating handbooks then wondering why employees claim they never knew of this policy or that one. Yet the difference between a handbook and a handbook that’s truly engaged with by employees is the presentation.
Dense legalese, walls of text, and overly formal tones transform handbooks into instruments of punishment instead of instruments of facilitation. Employees shouldn’t need a law degree to understand their workplace policies. The goal should be clear communication, not a sendup of how complicated employment law is.
Why Writing That Employees Can Read Matters Even More Than You Think
If an employee handbook exists but no one reads it, how does it protect either side during the course of employment? Arbitrators and judges don’t always rule in employers’ favor merely because something was put to paper if the employee can make a reasonable argument that they didn’t understand it.
The more convoluted the language and the worse the organization, the more employers risk courts siding with employees. Moreover, the more readable a handbook, the better workplace culture thanks to clear expectations. When employees understand what’s expected of them, they’re less likely to deviate from policy and more likely to observe policy without honest mistakes getting in the way. Clarity about benefits, time off, and workplace procedures prevents feelings of frustration instead of gratitude for feeling valued and in the know.
This is not to say that complicated subjects needn’t be covered by every handbook – harassment, discrimination, safety policies, benefit eligibility criteria all must be addressed. It’s how they’re explained without being watered down to uselessness that becomes challenging.
Companies today can utilize an employee handbook builder to structure certain policies into more digestible formats for both the necessary legal language and compliance measures. Start with what employees absolutely need to know and go from there.
For instance, with time-off requests, employees want to know how much time they accrue, how they request it, and how soon they need to submit the request. The particulars about calculations, rollover, and accrual are secondary pieces of information that help them understand but don’t help clarify what would otherwise be a complicated circumstance.
Bullet points and short paragraphs aren’t just easier to read; they’re easier to return to later. An employee seeking sick leave procedures doesn’t want to scour five dense paragraphs looking for a sentence buried inside. Clear formatting with headers and lists helps.
Employers Complicate It All
There’s great tension between creating a company policy that’s relatively simplified versus including everything an employer thinks is important for legal backing and protection against future claims. The truth is that some verbiage must go into handbooks so it’s compliant even if it’s not ultimately readable.
For example, it’s better to present an easy-to-understand paragraph, then supply a note or another paragraph that includes what has to be legally bound where legally bound than to create a super convoluted sentence that only gets lawyers off the hook but makes everyone else confused.
Leading with practical explanation and then backing up with required legal language acknowledges both sides without assuming risk of losing either one; it’s beneficial for offering the understandable version first and then substantiating what goes behind it when necessary.
Definitions are also crucial here to terms that might be above an average employee’s pay grade; “exempt” and “non-exempt” in context with employment classifications should have simple sentences defining them when first mentioned instead of assuming an understanding or saving any kind of lexicon for later down the line when further context is given. Confusion creates tension when all that’s needed is one clear definition to save headaches later down the line for policy discussions regarding those very terms.
Formatting Plays A Role
The formatting elements contribute just as much as word choice into making something readable – giant blocks of text in small font disincentivize anyone from reading anything before they even begin. White space with strategic breaks and use of headers make something less intimidating and transform ease of reading into chunks instead of drowning anyone within continuous paragraphs without any relief in sight.
Table of contents’ markers and clear section titles turn a handbook into more of a reference document than something someone needs to sit down and read cover-to-cover. Few employees will read through their handbook straight through on day one – or at any point – and that’s ok; what matters is that when a situation occurs, they can refer back to find policies they’ve already deemed irrelevant at some point before their situations made them important now. Good organizational structures allow for quick clear sides for easy accessibility without sifting through other policies that have nothing to do with their request.
Digital Handbooks Offer Plenty Over Print
Digital handbooks come with features print versions don’t possess – searchability with key words, hyperlinked sections, quick-update options without reprinting all contribute digital formats as more employee-friendly approaches than printed ones. Even interactive elements can work for/against digital versus printed such as acknowledgment forms, linked resources, or videos explaining necessary policies that might get overlooked if deemed boring by reading alone.
There’s an appropriate tone that’s got middle ground between sounding overly friendly, casual, probably not appropriate – and sounding hostile with major legalese buzz words everywhere; this is an unnecessary extreme when all that’s needed is a serious tone about serious workplace implications while treating other intelligent adults who can comprehend what’s being asked of them via a clear explanation.
For instance, avoid being passive when being direct is clearer: “Employees must submit time-off requests at least two weeks before scheduled days off” is preferable to “Requests must be submitted by employees a minimum of two weeks prior to the requested days.” The second sentence doesn’t just make it unnecessarily long; it makes it less readable despite conveying the same message by complicating it further instead of making it comprehensive in the first place with brevity and conciseness.
Don’t Complicate Vocabulary Unless Necessary
Similarly, don’t implement unnecessarily complicated vocabulary; “Utilize” instead of “use” or “terminate” instead of “end” doesn’t make an employee handbook more professional looking – it just complicates readability; reserve truly complex terms for situations where they’re truly valid – not as standard practice writing.
Ultimately it’s essential to test the handbook for understanding before final cut is made; give it to employees – people in different roles – and ask if they can find and understand key policies; if multiple people fail in one section consistently over another, that needs revision; this isn’t about dumbing it down enough for a fifth grader but making it clear enough for your actual workforce rendering comprehension priorities more important than any ego-defending factors needing inclusion throughout.
Reading proficiency
Reading level matters more for some policies than others. Basic workplace rules; safety procedures should be accessible for everyone – including employees who might not even have English as a first language – while more convoluted sections about benefits or legal rights can assume different reading levels; even then they should avoid complicated vocab terms unless justified to avoid frustrating savvy readers who still just want credible information like everyone else!
A readable handbook becomes less valuable if outdated; employment laws change regularly, company policies adjust frequently, and benefits are updated quarterly; it’s important to review the handbook regularly before anyone gets caught between covers with outdated info.
