Companies in the process of developing various company publications often struggle with the question of which document to create first—their employee handbook or their policies and procedures manual. While it is not always necessary to have both, there are advantages, particularly for larger organizations and those who have defined administrative procedures in place.
The distinction between an employee handbook and a policy and procedures manual is often blurred and is never absolute. Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably. It is important, however, to recognize that they are two different documents with different objectives and content.
An employee handbook is a document that introduces employees to the company and familiarizes them with the guidelines and benefits that affect the employment relationship. Although statements of policy appear in both handbooks and policies and procedures manuals, the topics covered in a policies and procedures manual are often more detailed and exhaustive. The subjects covered in an employee handbook are typically selective and the information provided is more general. Employee handbooks are distributed to all employees, typically at the beginning of employment.
