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Employee Handbooks
Discuss employment-law issues such as family leave, overtime, disabilities law, harassment, immigration and termination.
Our company has established an intranet. Are we giving sufficient notice to employees if we place the employee handbook on the intranet and provide computer access in each building for employees to "r
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Forums » Topic Forums » Legal Forum » Employee Handbooks
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Employee Handbooks
posted at 7/7/1999 7:17 PM EDT
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Posts: 4
First: 7/7/1999 Last: 1/12/2000 |
Our company has established an intranet. Are we giving sufficient notice to employees if we place the employee handbook on the intranet and provide computer access in each building for employees to "read" the policy and procedures within the handbook OR do we need to provide paper copies of all policies changes and have the employees sign and date an acknowledgement?
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Employee Handbooks
posted at 7/8/1999 1:03 AM EDT
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Posts: 833
First: 6/11/1999 Last: 8/23/2001 |
Use whichever way you can document that the employee has been informed of the change; hard copy and receipt is one way, tracking sign-ons is another way, but however you do it, you may need to prove that the employee was given the information. Also, you'll want to archive a copy of the handbook in it's various incarnations.
Depending on how radical the changes, or to what extent your employees would lose benefits, priviledges, etc from the change, they may not be held to the new version, as in the Electromation case, and you may need need to produce the version under which a specific employee was hired. That may be tough to do if the handbook only appears electronically. |
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Employee Handbooks
posted at 7/8/1999 6:51 PM EDT
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Posts: 399
First: 6/21/1999 Last: 9/14/2005 |
As usual, Jim's advice is right on the money. We just did a handbook update in which we sent it to them electronically, but required a PAPER signature. Keep track and make sure you get a signature back from everyone - otherwise you get people who think they are exempt from the policies described, both as in "Gee, I didn't know there was a company policy regarding that!" and in, "I did not sign the handbook, therefore I do not have to follow the policies". If they out and out refuse to sign, make them sign something that says they refuse to sign - that way at least you have an acknowledgment that they are aware of the policy. "I have received the company handbook and choose not to sign an acknowlegment" will do. |
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Employee Handbooks
posted at 7/8/1999 8:03 PM EDT
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Posts: 2
First: 7/8/1999 Last: 7/8/1999 |
We have this exact situation happening at our company. After consulting with legal, we decided to keep the handbook on the Intranet, create a "jump" to the acknowledgement page, where employees can print out and sign that one page only. We are insuring this process happens by holding supervisors responsible for the return of all ack. pages from their staff. |
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Employee Handbooks
posted at 7/10/1999 7:53 PM EDT
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Posts: 2217
First: 6/16/1999 Last: 12/13/2001 |
Proof of receipt is the key. The issues with respect of electronic data are pretty big. You may have an acknowledgement, but be unable to prove that the electronic version on-line was the one in place when the employee signed the acknowledgement. Murphy's Law says, the policy for which you cannot prove receipt is the only policy in the handbook which will count! |
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