Robert Nobile Published in HR Advisor
“So You Think You’re Better Off Without an Employee Handbook? Think Again!”

Robert Nobile’s article, “So You Think You’re Better Off Without an Employee Handbook? Think Again!,” was published in the July/August 2009 issue of HR Advisor. In his article, Bob discusses the legal and practical reasons why well-planned, well-written employee handbooks are critical for employers. He notes that “without a handbook, your company runs a greater risk of exposure to: discrimination claims due to the disparate treatment of employees; lack of appropriate affirmative defense to sexual harassment allegations; noncompliance with federal and state laws requiring that certain polices be written and distributed to employees; breaches of employee privacy; and from an employee relations standpoint, inconsistency the administration of personnel policies and procedures, that can lead not only to serious problems with employee moral, but also unionization as well.”

Bob provides specific examples that illustrate why employers are better off having an employee handbook. For example, he points out that most employers want to retain as much flexibility as possible regarding their ability to terminate employees “at will”. He further explains, “The importance of setting forth this policy in a handbook is that the handbook is being consistently referred to by employees for information. Thus, is readily accepted by the courts as an effective medium for providing employees with notice of their at will employment status and for continually reaffirming this concept.”