Employee Handbook

[Al Iglesias]

What is the name of your state? FL

Hello all and Beth:

As Company Controller for a close to 2 year old co., I am involved in establishing our employee handbook which at this point is about 35+ pages long. We used a sample template we purchased from Jerry Hopper and Assoc. and have edited the rest.

One area of concern or question, is of the 10 employees we now have, 7 have contracts - mainly Sales Rep contracts. Some areas of the contract make mention of following guidelines in the handbook (such as vacation, sick days), the question is do we have to make a disclaimer stating that employment contracts supersede or takes precedence over the employee handbook in areas that conflict or differ? I presume we do, but you guys are the experts.

Al in Tampa

 

[Beth3]

Normally, an employment contract will automatically superceed any terms, conditions, etc. outlined in any employee handbooks or policy, which is why it's always an excellent idea to have an attorney review any employment contracts before anyone signs anything. Loopholes or poor wording can cause you big troubles down the road.

My best advice to you, Al, is to consult with an employment law attorney before making a decision on this. The exact wording of any disclaimers will be critical. You presumably will want to make it clear that the disclaimer pertains only to certain benefits that are outlined in the contract and not to other terms and conditions of employment.