We have seen some employment advisers issue handbooks of several hundred pages to small businesses. Clearly, no thought has gone into what policies and procedures are appropriate in that particular situation. Indeed, we imagine that most handbooks simply gather dust on the desks of the employees of the business. As with contracts, handbooks should be tailored to the precise circumstances of the business.
We provide a substantial amount of advice to the independent schools sector. In most cases, it would be appropriate to have two different types of contract - one for teaching staff and one for non-teaching staff. Often schools will have two different handbooks (again for teaching and non-teaching staff) but this is not always necessary.
The law requires all employers to issue all staff with a written statement of main terms and conditions of employment. However, we advise all businesses to issue contracts of employment to include certain terms that are not required by law. Such terms are necessary to protect the business, both while the employee is employed and afterwards. Such terms relate to confidential information, use of company property, intellectual property and post-termination restrictions. Not all these terms are appropriate for all employers or, indeed, for all employees within an organisation. Contracts should be tailored to the needs of the business.