Employee Handbooks: 2025 Critical Issues

08 Sep 2025
12:00 PM PDT | 03:00 PM EDT
90 Minutes
A nationwide survey of employers revealed that while organizations use employee handbooks to address key business, legal, and talent management challenges, they limit the effectiveness of their handbook policies by the use of ineffective of the handbook practices. As the survey report noted, in many organizations there is a disconnect between the drafting of handbook policies and the implementation of those policies. 
To increase the effectiveness of their employment policies, organizations will have to: 1) enhance their business, operational, and legal intelligence to ensure they have identified the changing external and internal factors that affect their policies; 2) increase internal stakeholder participation in the handbook development process to obtain greater employee commitment and operational alignment; 3) establish new metrics to assess handbook policy and practices performance and measure the achievement of organization goals;  and 4) implement internal controls that identify and alert management when employee handbook process failures occur.

AREA COVERED

Employee handbooks are a critical tool in providing important information about your organization to employees. Employee handbooks typically describe what you expect of your employees and what your employees can (should) expect from you. Employee handbooks also provide critical information about your organization and your workplace, and how your employees are expected to fit in.

Employee handbooks further formalize mutual expectations.  In delineating these expectations, employee handbooks create opportunities and risks.  Handbooks provide your organization with the opportunity to enhance the value of its human capital, make your organization more competitive, and improve individual and organizational performance.  Conversely, handbooks can impede the achievement of business objectives, increase employment related liabilities, and reduce managerial prerogatives by making promises or commitments to certain procedural safeguards that your organization did not intend to make. As noted in a memorandum from a former General Counsel of the NLRB: “…incorrectly designed employee handbooks can violate the law and have a ‘chilling effect’ on employees’ activities.”

Thus, while your employee handbook provides you with the opportunity to make your work force more committed and supportive of organizational goals, it can also unfortunately serve as the basis for employees’ legal action and can significantly reduce employees’ commitment to your organization’s success.
  

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This webinar discusses how organizations can reduce the gap between policy issuance and effective implementation.
Learning Objectives:
  • Review the key findings of the employee handbook survey
  • Review the basics of employee handbook development
  • Discuss the expanding purposes and scope of employee handbooks
  • Learn the dimensions of critical handbook policies
  • Understand the framework of employee handbook audits activities
  • Develop employee handbook Key Performance Indicators

This program is designed for HR professionals, risk managers, internal auditors, in-house counsel, CFOs, CEOs, and management consultants and other individuals who want to learn how to use develop and implement employee handbooks.

WHO WILL BENEFIT?

  • HR Professionals
  • Internal Auditors and External Auditors
  • Business Owners
  • CFO’s
  • Managers and Supervisors
  • Compliance Officers
  • Risk Managers
Employee handbooks are a critical tool in providing important information about your organization to employees. Employee handbooks typically describe what you expect of your employees and what your employees can (should) expect from you. Employee handbooks also provide critical information about your organization and your workplace, and how your employees are expected to fit in.

Employee handbooks further formalize mutual expectations.  In delineating these expectations, employee handbooks create opportunities and risks.  Handbooks provide your organization with the opportunity to enhance the value of its human capital, make your organization more competitive, and improve individual and organizational performance.  Conversely, handbooks can impede the achievement of business objectives, increase employment related liabilities, and reduce managerial prerogatives by making promises or commitments to certain procedural safeguards that your organization did not intend to make. As noted in a memorandum from a former General Counsel of the NLRB: “…incorrectly designed employee handbooks can violate the law and have a ‘chilling effect’ on employees’ activities.”

Thus, while your employee handbook provides you with the opportunity to make your work force more committed and supportive of organizational goals, it can also unfortunately serve as the basis for employees’ legal action and can significantly reduce employees’ commitment to your organization’s success.
  
This webinar discusses how organizations can reduce the gap between policy issuance and effective implementation.
Learning Objectives:
  • Review the key findings of the employee handbook survey
  • Review the basics of employee handbook development
  • Discuss the expanding purposes and scope of employee handbooks
  • Learn the dimensions of critical handbook policies
  • Understand the framework of employee handbook audits activities
  • Develop employee handbook Key Performance Indicators

This program is designed for HR professionals, risk managers, internal auditors, in-house counsel, CFOs, CEOs, and management consultants and other individuals who want to learn how to use develop and implement employee handbooks.
  • HR Professionals
  • Internal Auditors and External Auditors
  • Business Owners
  • CFO’s
  • Managers and Supervisors
  • Compliance Officers
  • Risk Managers
Currency:
Webinar Option
Live + Recorded Session
Live + Transcript
Live + USB
Transcript (PDF Transcript of the Training)
Downloadable Recorded Session
USB
Group Session Participants + Recorded

Live Session with unlimited participants. Invite any number of attendees to join.

Speaker Profile

ins_img Ronald L. Adler

Ronald L. Adler, president of Laurdan Associates Inc. has 42 years of HR consulting experience and has served as a consulting expert on work force, workplace, and HR management issues for The Wall Street Journal, HRMagazine, and other publications and newspapers across the country. Mr. Adler's research findings have been used by the Federal Reserve Board, the EEOC, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), insurers, and international organizations.Mr. Adler is a frequent lecturer and author on HR management, employment practices, and UI issues. Mr. Adler is the author and editor of the Employment-Labor …

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