James P. Reidy
Phone: 603.627.8217
Fax: 603.641.2356
jreidy@sheehan.com
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Is your company required by law to have an employee handbook?
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
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| The short answer is no. Neither state (Massachusetts) nor federal employment laws require employers to create or maintain an employee manual or handbook. However, there are good reasons to have an employee handbook. It can provide employees with a useful guide to workplace policies and rules. It can offer one central location for all important policies and procedures. Sexual harassment policies are required by Massachusetts law. M.D.L. ch. 151B. Your sexual harassment policy should be published, posted and circulated to all employees at least annually. An effective way (not the only way) of getting the policy and complaint procedure to employees is to include it in your handbook. Also, if you have a handbook and your company is covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the law requires that your FMLA policy also be included in your handbook. Finally, if you have a handbook, it should be updated at least annually and it should include a disclaimer that notifies all readers the handbook is merely a guide and its contents do not constitute a contract with employees.
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