Employee Handbook

[Dustin Rutkowski]

This is my first thread, so please bare with me. I have now been a business owner for 1 full year and am loving it!!! Things are tight but I am finally at the point were it makes sense to bring in my first employee (tech). It has been difficult this past year wearing all the hats and I have found a guy that would be a great addition to the company. I will finally be able to move from maintaining the business to growing the business!!!

 

My question to everyone is what are the basic do's and don't with my situation? Is there anything fundamentally I should do or look out for? I am currently working on an employee handbook that will extend to all future employees. Everyone will have to sign and date that they have read and understand the contents. Would anyone have a copy of their handbook that they can send me to make sure I did not leave anything out of mine? It is overwhelming to write one of these from scratch. Especially since I am used to having a wrench in my hand, not a pen. I have looked into what is required to be in the book per the state, but i want to make sure that I am not missing anything that may pertain to our industry.

 

Thank you all in advance for your help!!! Best forum I have ever been to!!!

 

Dustin

AutoDR

[Joe Marconi]

There are organizations and even computer programs you can get to help with that. A shop's employee manual is specific to the individual shop. So, if I send you mine, it will not be appropriate for your business. There are also online services and manuals that you can download. Many payroll companies also help with this. You can also see if your local chamber of commerce as anyone resources. You are on the right path, good luck!

 

Hope this helps.

[ncautoshop]

This is my first thread, so please bare with me.  I have now been a business owner for 1 full year and am loving it!!!  Things are tight but I am finally at the point were it makes sense to bring in my first employee (tech).  It has been difficult this past year wearing all the hats and I have found a guy that would be a great addition to the company.  I will finally be able to move from maintaining the business to growing the business!!!  

 

My question to everyone is what are the basic do's and don't with my situation?  Is there anything fundamentally I should do or look out for?   I am currently working on an employee handbook that will extend to all future employees.  Everyone will have to sign and date that they have read and understand the contents.  Would anyone have a copy of their handbook that they can send me to make sure I did not leave anything out of mine?  It is overwhelming to write one of these from scratch.  Especially since I am used to having a wrench in my hand, not a pen.  I have looked into what is required to be in the book per the state, but i want to make sure that I am not missing anything that may pertain to our industry.  

 

Thank you all in advance for your help!!!  Best forum I have ever been to!!!

 

Dustin 

AutoDR

Dustin, I've been struggling with this subject as well. I can tell you its key to keeping quality employees and keeping them on track. I've honestly given up just because its hard to wear all the hats and write the handbook. If you find any resources please share!

 

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[weighit]

I no longer have my hand book, but I do know not having one cost me a bunch when I fired an employee for stealing from my company. He fought the firing with the unemployment people and I fought it saying stealing was a fire-able offence. At the meeting in the Unemployment office the very first question the lady asked me was what does the handbook say? What handbook I asked, we don't have one. She said well how do you expect the employee to know what your rules were if you never had him read your hand book of rules? I said common sense should factor in here somewhere and where I come from stealing is looked upon as a crime if not at least a reason to loose your job. She said I agree in theory, but here we work with facts, no hand book, no rules therefore no reason to fire, YOU LOOSE!! The man collects on your unemployment for some 34 weeks!! or until he gets a job....what an eye opening experience.

 

I immediately went back to the shop and researched handbooks, and started writing ours. Line one was is is not OK to hit, stab or shoot the boss, or any other employee or customer! Might as well make it a rule so if it ever happened I could fire his azz legally. Also has the sexual harassment clause in there, how much time you can be missing or late, phone usage and clothing styles or sizes. If I thought it was something that was going to bother/hamper or cause discord in my shop, it was in the handbook. Yelling, swearing or other types of loud conversation that could be heard by others was in there too.

 

When a new hire came in, I gave them time to read the book, there was two pages in the back that said they read the book, had any questions about the book answered, and were signing both pages stating such. One stayed in the book, one got removed and into the guys file. I also had a meeting with all the existing employees and explained exactly why the new rule book was being started, answered all the normal questions and also had them sign it. Never again paid any more unemployment to anyone fired.

 

Now with the age of computers it is so much easier to research, as this all took place in 2003 and i was in the library for a couple of hours hunting how to do this, but I can't see anyone in business now not having a handbook for the employees.

[mccannable]

I am writing one from online examples. I believe they are very important for many reasons. As example when my wife sold jewelry at a small few store company they had no official rules. No dress code no anything. It caused a lot of headache for both sides and let the "rules" up to the mood of the owners.