If you’ve been putting off the advice from employment lawyers Dallas TX to draft an employee handbook, you may want to re-think the issue. According to the Huffington Post, three-quarters of litigation against corporations are employment disputes, so it’s just good business sense to lay out your company’s rules, regulations, and policies as they apply to employment laws in black and white to decrease the chances of a costly misunderstanding. A handbook ensures that all employees have the same information explaining what to expect, what is expected, and what the rules are. Even if an employee ends up wanting to litigate, having a handbook in place will provide useful protection for you in court.
Why Do You Need Help from Employment Lawyers Dallas TX to Draft Your Employee Manual?
While many employers see the value in drafting an employee handbook, some may doubt the benefits of involving an employment lawyer Dallas TX to get the job done. The Small Business Administration offers a very general guide for writing an employee handbook, but even following their outline to the letter will still leave out essential matters that could lead to trouble down the road, especially if you purposely try to write a handbook to avoid “legalese.” The L.A. Times outlined the Tribune Co.’s employee manual as one infamous example. The CEO who proudly authored it took pleasure in pointing out that it was a departure from the ponderous and cumbersome tomes that most employee handbooks tend to be. That it certainly was, but as readable as the new handbook was, there was no doubt that it did not cover many of the issues it legally should have in order to protect the corporation from lawsuits.
Another risk of following a formula to write your own guide for employees is that, in the effort to cover everything, you may say too much. Certain language could be interpreted to mean promises you would never make, or create obligations that you would prefer not to keep. Consulting an employment attorney Dallas TX can save you from promising continued employment for non-performing employees, or from having to jump through an inflexible series of hoops when disciplining for misconduct or poor performance.
When it comes to setting down rules and policies for employees, Simon|Paschal are the employment lawyers Dallas TX businesses trust to ensure employee handbooks are done right the first time. Specializing in employment and business law, Simon|Paschal knows which issues need to be included and what language to use to get the point across in a way that cannot be misinterpreted. Simon|Paschal are the experts who can help navigate the way for any legal matter regarding your business. Call (972) 893-9340 to learn more.
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