The employee policy handbook software for busy entrepreneurs

If you're spending more time on employee motivation and human resource management than on running your business, you need Employee Manual Builder. It can save you thousands of dollars and many, many hours. Plus, you and your management team will learn many valuable management tips and practices that will minimize HR issues, keep you out of court and maintain a productive working environment.

Clearly communicate your HR benefits, expectations and policies

Experts agree that a carefully written employee policy handbook can improve morale, increase productivity, prevent disagreements, and even keep you out of court. By setting clear standards of conduct, you'll make sure that you and other managers will treat every employee fairly and consistently.

This alone goes a long way toward protecting your company from lawsuits. No more misunderstandings, misinterpretations, or miscommunications that can cause you legal problems down the road.

Read a copy of the master employee policy manual template to see if Employee Manual Builder is right for you.
Notice the first couple of pages:

• Introductory memo (can easily be copied into an email) to employees.
• Receipt & Acknowledgment of your Employee Policy Manual — a plaintiff's lawyer will have a difficult time getting by this document!
• Cover Page
• Table of Contents

Established practices enable you to hire and fire without fear. This is where most managers get into trouble. Employee Manual Builder will help you set standards, keep your employees informed, and define your corporate culture.

Intuitive document management system works with familiar Office applications

Menu-driven from start to finish, the organized system gives you a sample policy manual that has been thoroughly proven. There are no new programs to learn — Employee Manual Builder is easy to use because it works with your familiar Microsoft Office software.

• JIAN's Multi-user Interactive Document Assembly System (MIDAS) makes adding, editing and managing documents fast and easy
• Just scroll through each section and edit using your familiar Microsoft Word.
• Experts' comments throughout each section, in green, guides you every step of the way, explaining issues and making suggestions to help you do it right.
• You can add, edit and customize any document the way you like.
• Drag and drop sections to change the order.
• Collaborate over a network, server or the Internet (Each user requires their own licensed copy.)
• Check the boxes for each section you want to include.
• You can even add your own external documents, new sections and print to PDF.
• Share your plan online with consultants, partners and employees

A better software context for making office policy choices

Some software products present you with a screen and some check boxes or radio buttons expecting you to make your decisions then and there with the system taking over to produce your policies manual. We think that is more difficult for you as well as a bit dangerous — at JIAN we look for “out of the buttons” solutions and ideas that may actually work better for your company.

First, you need to be shown the bigger picture, offered some choices and provided with thorough explanations before you commit your business to a certain choice. Therefore, we don’t limit you to checkboxes and radio buttons, instead, we provide the entire policies handbook where you can read the options and edit the text your way. Throughout, we provide expert comments explaining each choice and making suggestions to consider for each policy within context of your entire policy manual and management desires.

We also added "Please" and "Thank You" in about 150 places — employees are not children, nor cattle, nor slave labor... they are intelligent people who are there to work for you. Treat them nicely, yet firmly and fairly, and they will respect you and do a better job.

Conscious contributions by a team of HR experts

HR professionals' comments throughout each section explain issues and make suggestions to help you do it right. Employee Manual Builder includes valuable insights and helpful tips and advice from a variety of top legal experts and practicing HR pros (not just one attorney) to assure you of a complete foundation for successfully managing your business.

• Human resource management
• Attorneys specializing in employment issues
• Personnel managers
• Psychologists
• Editors of HR trade journals

Their suggestions and explanations are written in within the text — right where you need it as you develop your manual. (They can be turned on/off with a click on an icon, and they don't print.) Plus, you benefit from feedback from thousands of successful customers who've used Employee Manual Builder throughout the years so you can also benefit from their direct experience.

Recommended by Expert HR professionals...

Over the years many business managers have relied upon EmployeeManualBuilder to protect their businesses with well-written employment policies. Many professional HR critics have also blessed these policies and procedures as excellent practices to put in place for every successful company.

60-Day “Get-the-Job-Done” Money-Back Guarantee

Put the necessary structure into your business that you need to increase profits, improve efficiency, and enable you to grow. If EmployeeManualBuilder doesn't help you build your business, we will buy it back from you — JIAN is here to help you succeed.

Put these comprehensive employee policies to work for your company today.

Why Employee Manual Builder is the best HR policy software on the market:

• Designed to cover California's tough employment laws, so it will easily address every policy you'll need.
• Comprehensive handbook software with 200+ Employment Policies& Procedures updated for 2008
• Top-rated by professional Human Resources Management Reviewers
• Read some of the many rave reviews by other HR management professionals
• Update your employee manual in just a few hours — just edit the pre-written text using Microsoft Word
• 60+ time-saving employee management checklists, forms, and memos, even the full text of the laws, are included!
• On-screen guidance and advice from respected human resource management and labor law specialists - you'll learn as you go
• Includes the comprehensive Handbook of Employee Policies
• Written in warm, friendly but firm, plain-English
• Backed by the JIAN Expert Referral Network

Intuitive document management system works with familiar Microsoft Office applications

Menu-driven from start to finish, its organized system gives you a sample manual that has been thoroughly proven. There are no new programs to learn —Employee Manual Builder is easy to use and works with your familiar word-processing software.

• JIAN's Multi-user Interactive Document Assembly System (MIDAS) makes adding, editing and managing documents fast and easy
• Just scroll through each section and edit using your familiar Microsoft Word.
• Experts' comments throughout each section, in green, guides you every step of the way, explaining issues and making suggestions to help you do it right.
• You can add, edit and customize any document the way you like.
• Drag and drop sections to change the order.
• Collaborate over a network, server or the Internet (Each user requires their own licensed copy.)
• Check the boxes for each section you want to include.
• You can even add your own external documents, new sections and print to PDF.
• Share your plan online with consultants, partners and employees

60-Day “Get-the-Job-Done” Money-Back Guarantee

Put the necessary structure into your business that you need to increase profits, improve efficiency, and enable you to grow. If EmployeeManualBuilder doesn't help you build your business, we will buy it back from you — JIAN is here to help you succeed.

 

Up-to-Date Employee Policies for 2008

To produce a comprehensive employee policy manual for your company, you'll likely require all of these policies. The good news is that they are all already written for you. The other good news is that you can easily edit and format them any way you like. "[Company]" will automatically fill-in throughout your manual with your actual company name.

• Introductory Memo
• Receipt & Acknowledgment of [Company]
• Employee Policies Handbook Cover
• At-Will Employment
• Arbitration Agreement
• Confidential Information

Welcome to [Company]

• Table of Contents

Introduction

• About the Employee Policies Handbook

Overview of [Company]

• About [Company]
• Background
• Concept
• Vision
• Mission Statement
• Objectives
• Goals
• Core Values & Practices
• [Company] Organization Chart

Employment Policies

• Equal Opportunity Employment
• Age Discrimination
• Disabilities
• Discriminatory Practices
• Equal Pay
• Hostile Environment Standards
• National Origin Discrimination
• Pregnancy Based Discrimination
• Religious Accommodation
• EEO Notices
• The Americans With Disabilities Act
• Procedure For Requesting an Accommodation
• Grievance Procedure
• Arbitration Policy<
• Acknowledgment of and Agreement With [Company] Arbitration Policy
• Employment At-Will
• Employee Selection Process

Hiring Procedures

• Employee Background Check
• Credit Investigation
• Criminal Records
• Driver’s License & Driving Record
• Health Examinations
• Immigration Law Compliance & Procedures
• U.S. Immigration Reform & Control Act
• Nepotism – Employment of Relatives / Friends
• Outside Employment
• Temporary & Contract Workers

Employee Information

• Employment Classifications
• Exempt or Non-Exempt Employees
• Non-Exempt Employees
• Exempt Employees
• Regular Employees<
• Regular Full-Time Employees
• Regular Part-Time Employees
• Temporary Employees
• Length of Service
• Hire Date
• Break in Service
• Bridge of Service
• Personnel Records & Administration
• Your Personnel File
• Record Changes Notification
• Your Medical Records File
• Employment & Reference Checks
• Reference Referrals
• Polygraph Protection Act

Starting to Work

• Introductory Period
• Initial Review
• Anniversary Date
• New Employee Orientation
• Temps & Contractors
• Work Schedule
• Business Hours
• Attendance
• Lateness / Tardiness
• Absences
• Break & Meal Periods
• Meal Room Facility
• Low-Need Time
• Severe Weather & Emergency Conditions

Compensation

• Wage & Salary Policies
• Compensation Philosophy
• Basis For Determining Pay
• Wages
• Computing Pay
• Time Records
• Error In Pay
• Pay Period & Hours
• Payroll Contact
• Payroll Deductions
• Paycheck Distribution
• Direct Deposit
• Time Reporting
• Overtime
• Flex Time
• On Call Pay
• Shift Premium
• Travel Time
• Working on Company Holidays
• Compensatory Time Off
• Non-Exempt (or Hourly) Employees
• Exempt Employees
• Payroll Advances
• Wage Garnishments
• Temporary Employees

Performance Management

• Performance Evaluations
• Performance Reviews
• Compensation Programs
• Compensation Reviews
• Other Compensation Programs & Policies
• Employee Referral Program
• Transfer & Promotion Policy

Professional Standard

• What You Can Expect From [Company]
• What [Company] Expects From You
• Open Communication Policy
• Confidential Information & Inventions Agreement
• Business Conduct
• Conflicts of Interest
• Customer Relations
• Outside Employment
• Suggestions

Benefits

• Eligibility For Benefits
• Insurance Benefits
• Insurance Coverage
• Group Insurance
• [Health / Dental / Vision Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment
• Insurance
• Continuation of Coverage Through COBRA
• Employee Assistance Program
• Domestic Partners Policy
• How To Enroll
• Coverages
• Termination of Coverage
• Leaves of Absence
• Termination of Domestic Partnership
• Government Required Coverage
• Workers’ Compensation
• Workers' Compensation Fraud
• Recreational Activities & Programs
• Unemployment Compensation
• Social Security
• Profit Sharing Plan
• Retirement Plan
• Statement of Employee Retirement Income
• Security Act (ERISA) Rights

  Other Benefits

• Credit Union Membership
• Education Assistance
• Employee Purchases of [Company]’s Product

Paid Time Off

We include a discussion regarding the choice between PTO vs. Sick/Vacation/Personal time policy.

• About Our Time-Off Program
• Vacations
• Sick Days
• How Our PTO / Vacation Plan Works
• How PTO/VACATION Accrues
• Carryover of Paid Time Off
• Borrowing of Paid Time Off
• Scheduling of PTO
• PTO & Termination of Employment

Holidays

• Holiday Policies
• Personal Leave
• Amount of Personal Leave
• Accumulation Rights
• Sick Leave
• Amount of Sick Leave
• Accumulation Rights
• Vacations
• Amount of Vacation
• Accumulation Rights

Paid Leaves Of Absence

• Bereavement / Funeral Leave
• Jury Duty / Witness Duty
• Sabbatical
• School Visits
• Voting / Election Day

Unpaid Time Off

• Approved Leaves of Absence
• Children’s School Activities
• Family / Medical Leave of Absence
• Life-Threatening or Debilitating Illness
• Medical Leave
• Military Leave
• Military Reserves or National Guard Leave of Absence
• Personal Leave of Absence
• Disability (Including Pregnancy) Leave of Absence
• Religious Accommodation
• Accepting Other Employment or Going Into
• Business While on Leave of Absence
• Insurance Premium Payment During Leaves of Absence

Information Systems Usage Policy

• Computers, Electronic Mail & Voice Mail Usage Policy
• Information Access & Disclosure
• Communication Etiquette
• Email
• Internet
• Confidential Information
• Copyrighted Information
• Monitoring & Data Protection
• Security
• Passwords
• Software
• Computer and Other Equipment Not Provided By [Company]
• Personal Use
• Prohibited Uses of [Company] Information Systems
• Consequences of a Breach of this Policy
• Computer Protection
• Back-Up Your Computer
• Phishing / Spear Phishing
• Web Logging (Blogging)

Workplace Policies

• Access & Disclosure
• Alcohol Consumption
• Bonding Requirement
• Cell / Mobile Phone Usage
• Communication
• Community Activities
• Company & Department Meetings
• Company Equipment
• Contributions
• Customer Relations
• Dress Code & Personal Appearance
  (Including Piercing & Tattoos)
• Food & Beverages
• Containers
• Other Considerations
• Expense Reimbursement
• Gifts
• Kitchen
• Music / Portable Music Player Usage
• Personal Use of Company Property
• Pets At Work
• Recycling, Waste Prevention & Conservation
• Salesperson Agreement
• Service Awards
• Smoking
• Solicitations & Distributions
• Spouse Accepts Employment – or Works For a Competitor
• Telecommuting Policy
• Telephone Usage
• Uniforms
• Use of Company Vehicle
• Violence, Weapons

Safety

• General Employee Safety
• Safety Rules
• Working Safely
• Electrical Hazards
• Fire Extinguishers
• Lifting
• Handling Tools
• Using Ladders
• Materials Handling
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Operating Machines & Equipment
• Preventing Falls
• Falling Objects
• Trash Disposal
• Cleaning Up
• Work Areas
• Report All Injuries
• Ask Questions
• Fire Prevention
• In Case of Fire
• Emergency Evacuation
• Housekeeping
• Office Safety
• Property & Equipment Care

Security

• Entering & Leaving The Premises
• Visitors
• Security Checks
• Parking Lot
• Restricted Areas

Drug-Free Workplace Policy

• Fitness For Duty Examination
• Drug-Free Workplace
• Health Risks of Alcohol & Other Drug Use
• Legal Implications of Alcohol and Drug Use
• Where To Get Help

Unlawful Harassment

• What Is Harassment?
• Sexual Harassment Defined
• Other Types of Harassment
• Responsibility
• Liability For Harassment
• Reporting Harassment
• Complaint Procedure
• External Agencies
  

Prohibited Conduct

• Unacceptable Activities
• Weapons
• Workplace Violence
• Outside Threats

Discipline Policy

• Standards of Conduct
• Open Door Policy
• Probation
• Disciplinary Actions
• Discipline Procedure
• Step One: Oral Reminder
• Step Two: Written Warning
• Step Three: Decision-Making Leave / Counseling Session
• Crisis Suspension

Separation of Employment

• Resignation / Voluntary Termination
• Failure To Report To Work
• Involuntary Terminations
• Reductions In Force
• Voluntary Reduction In Force
• Severance
• Outplacement Services
• Perquisites
• Benefits Continuation / Termination
• Insurance Conversion Privileges
• Exit Interview
• Return of Company Property
• Final Paycheck
• Other Disbursements
• Former Employees
• Reinstatement of Benefits
• Post-Employment Inquiries

Everything you'll need for effective HR management

When you have a job to do, it's nice to have all of the tools handy to make it easy to get it done. Here they are:

Useful Form Templates

• "At Will" Employment
• Offer Letter
• Accident Report
• Application for Education Assistance
• Arbitration Agreement
• Background Research Release
• COBRA Notice
• Computer Usage
• Discipline without Punishment Discussion Guide
• Domestic Partner Declaration
• Employee Invention Assignment
• Employee Termination
• Employment - Executive
• Employment & Compensation History
• Employment Application
• Exit Certification
• Exit Interview
• General Release
• Harassment Complainant Interview
• Harassment Interview Form
• Harassment Witness Interview Form
• Idea Submission
• Implementation Process
• Independent Contractor
• Job Description Worksheet
• Leave of Absence Coordination
• Letter - Offer
• Letter - Rejection (on file)
• Letter - Rejection (Regrets)
• Letter - Termination
• Letter - Thank you for Applying
• Loss Prevention Responsibilities
• New Employee Orientation
• Non-Disclosure - Employee
• Payroll Deduction Authorization
• Peer Review Checklist
• Performance Review Form
• Performance Review Template
• Personnel Status Change
• Policies Manual Intro Memo
• Punishment Questionnaire
• Receipt for Employee Manual
• Reference Release
• Reference Release Waiver
• Safety Policy Violation Report
• Safety Suggestion Form
• Severance Acceptance Agreement
• Telecommuting Agreement
• Uniform Assignment Form

Required Federal Posters

• Workplace Poster Requirements
• Disabilities (+ Espanol)
• Equal Employment Opportunity (+ Espanol)
• Family Leave (+ Espanol)
• Heat Stress
• Minimum Wage (+ Espanol)
• Polygraph (+ Espanol)
• Safety (+ Espanol)
• Teen Workers
• USERRA

Appendices include entire transcripts of laws

If you really want to read these, here they are in their entirety.

• APPENDIX A: Family Medical Leave Act
• APPENDIX B: Equal Employment Opportunity Act
• APPENDIX C: Immigration Reform Act
• APPENDIX D: Polygraph Protection Act
• APPENDIX E: Fair Labor Standards Act
• APPENDIX F: Americans With Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that prohibits discrimination in access to services and employment against persons who are disabled. The ADA, Public Law 101-336, was enacted on July 26, 1990. The ADA has varying implementation and effective dates for different sections.

• July 26, 1990 - enacted
• July 26, 1992 - 25 or more employees
• July 26, 1994 - 15 or more employees
• The EEOC determines regulatory guidelines

Disability:

Defined as anything that limits one or more major life activities (sight, hearing, walking, etc.)

Impact:

•  Interviewers are not allowed to ask questions about or discuss a disability - They can ask questions based on ability to accomplish specific tasks of position, i.e. what accommodation might be necessary.
  
•  Reasonable accommodation will be expected.
  
•  Job descriptions and specifications are a vital part of the employment process (essential and non-essential elements of a job need to be detailed).
  
•  A Written compliance policy with data collection and evaluation criteria are required.
  
•  Corporate supervisors and managers must develop the knowledge and ability to discuss disability related issues.
  
•  Disability related information about workers should be maintained in a separate location from the personnel files (available on need-to-know basis only).
  
•  Confidentiality must by enforced.
  
•  Sources are needed to provide information about disabled workers, accommodations, conditions, etc.
  
•  Prepare for customer inquiry/complaints - Who is going to handle the comments?
  
•  Employee/customer awareness programs may be needed.
  

ADA Related Links

American Foundation for the Blind 202-457-1487

Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board Building accessibility 800-USA-ABLE

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
ADA assistance enforcement 800-669-EEOCM

IBM's Special Needs Information Referral Center Adaptive technology 800-426-2133

Job Accommodation Network
International toll-free consulting service provides information about job accommodations, ADA and the employability of people with disabilities 800-526-7234 (V/TTY)

National Institute on Deafness
and Other Communication Disorders 202-651-5051

Resources for Adults with Disabilities

Answers to 21 Questions About ADA

How Do The State Workers' Compensation Laws Interact With The ADA?

Who Wins Most in ADA Lawsuits — Employers Or Employees?

17 Most Common Myths About the ADA Answered By The Justice Department

For Windows Users:

• Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP/Vista
• Office 2000/2003/XP/2007
• IBM-compatible PCs with a Pentium® processor or better, 166MHz or faster
• 32MB RAM, 64MB or more recommended
• 24MB hard disk space
• CD-ROM drive, 4x or faster
• Mouse or compatible pointing device
• 24-bit/true-color display
• Compatible with most popular printers

Please be sure you have all of the latest Windows and Office Service Packs installed... this makes world of difference!

• Click your START button (on your desktop)
• Click "Windows Updates" (or visit www.microsoft.com -- look for 'downloads') -- Please follow the Microsoft instructions.

Also, you may need to disable Norton before installing BizPlanBuilder.

For Macintosh Users:

Word & Excel Templates Only — Edit, Format & Print

The Macintosh version is a collection of Word and Excel templates that contain the very same content as the PC/Windows program. Unlike the Windows-based program with its document assembly system, we have taken the content and formatted it directly into complete Word and Excel spreadsheet templates for you—beautifully formatted documents that you can easily edit and format to your liking using Word & Excel. Your download will include a folder containing the documents neatly organized within sub-folders, with an "About" page introducing the JIAN business tool you have chosen.

The financial models are in Excel workbooks—they behave the same as in the Windows-based system with the document assembly system. Click them open, then click along the tabs at the bottom to access each page... You'll see, it's very comprehensive, straight-forward and credible.

No Windows-like Application

Although the Windows "wizard" is not there, the financials calculate just the same way as the PC financials. The text is fully editable—we have already assembled the documents for you for editing in Word. We wanted to offer a version of BizPlanBuilder for Mac customers, but R&D on Apple products is astronomical and is not in our current budget based upon the percentage of customers we have that use the Mac platform. We hope to have a cross-platform product out within the next 6 months that is collaborative for all of our users. We will honor our 6 month free upgrade to you at the time that product becomes available... Please send us a copy of your email receipt (or just email us and we will look you up) when you see a newer version of the product on this site. Thank you for understanding.

Mac OS

Macintosh OS 9 or later, including OS/X & Jaguar / Cheetah / Tiger

Power PC® processor

• 32MB RAM, 64MB or more recommended
• 24MB hard disk space
• CD-ROM drive, 4x or faster
• Mouse or compatible pointing device
• 24-bit/true-color display
• Compatible with most popular printers

Mac Basic Financial Statements**:

• Mac MS Office 98 or later, OR
• Mac MS Excel 5.0/95 or later
• Mac Intermediate** & Comprehensive** Financial Models:
• Mac MS Office 2001 OR Mac MS Excel 2001 or newer

** Requires full Office installation, and may not offer full functionality in some system configurations.