Automotive Service Technology II Mr

Automotive Service Technology II – Mr. Stratton “Employee Handbook Assignment”

You will develop an Employee Handbook for an automotive repair/service business that will be a minimum of 25-40 pages, single-spaced, concise and clear in its descriptions, and complete. You will find in the following material, suggestions and ideas as well as requirements. This assignment is due May 21st, 2013 as your “Senior Research” project. The project will be graded by Mr. Stratton for content, clarity, proper grammar, writing structure, and completeness.

“Why It Is Important To Have an Employee Handbook” The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that businesses can protect themselves against damages and liability against employee lawsuits by providing clear, written policies covering rights and responsibilities of their employees. Just about any attorney will tell you how important an employee handbook is to your company; even the smallest business should protect itself with an employee handbook.

Research: One of, if not the most important aspect of producing a quality Employee Handbook is the research that must take place and consequently the learning that comes from it. In depth researching on the internet of the different required areas as well as finding other examples is a critical function in your writing of a quality finished product. It is the goal of this project that as you work through it you will discover what a good employee is through your own expectations for your fictitious business. Be thorough and diligent in your efforts and you will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome, it can be fun if you let it!

“Tips and Tactics”  A manual is not set in stone. Policy adjustments can and should be made as the company’s situation changes over time.  Make sure you get a signed acknowledgement of receipt of the handbook.  Most employees want to know the rules and will follow the rules if told what they are.  Most employees are proud of their workplace and want to know more about it, the handbook is a good place to put it.  Handbooks open lines of communication with employees.  A handbook notifies employees of policies and procedures.  A handbook notifies employees about performance expectations, and provides evidence that the employee knew that certain conduct could result in discipline or discharge.  A handbook provides information about benefits available to employees, and what steps needed to obtain those benefits.  A handbook answers common employee questions about how the Company operates.  A handbook helps to communicate the Company’s core values to its workforce.  A handbook explains the reasoning behind certain policies, which helps employees understand them.  A handbook assists in preventing “conflicts of interest”.  A handbook explains the Company’s rules. “Key Components to an Employee Handbook” 1. Company Overview – Introduces your company with a few paragraphs about its history, growth, goals, ethics, and management philosophy. 2. Equal Opportunity Statement – State that an employee’s age, religion, sex, or race will have nothing to do with hiring, promotion, pay or benefits. 3. Work Hours 4. Pay and Performance – Because pay issues are sensitive, it is wise not to include specific numbers or targets. General statements about when paychecks will arrive, how promotion and raises are handled, employee classification (full-time, part-time, etc.) and policies on pay advances, leaves without pay, overtime, flat-rate, bonus programs, and other pay irregularities are sufficient. Also include policy on performance review so employees will know exactly what areas and how they will be evaluated and how often. Also, include a statement on in-house versus external hiring policies may be appropriate here. 5. Benefits – Supply copies of the insurance provider’s brochure that explain the insurance policy (health, parental or maternity leave) in detail. Your plan needs to define who is eligible and when, what portion the employer pays and what portion the employee is responsible for. Also, any additional coverages need to be determined, i.e., eye or dental. Explain policies for vacations and all types of leave, including sick, military, funeral, personal, family, medical and jury duty. List all paid, and non-paid, holidays. A very good idea is the use of “Information at a Glance” section that gives a brief outline of your benefits package. 6. Pension and Profit Sharing – Discuss how and when employees become eligible, or if you offer it. Discuss whether an employee contribution is permitted or required, and when an employee becomes vested. 7. Standards of Conduct/Code of Ethics – One of the most important reasons to have an employee handbook is to ensure that your staff understands what you expect of them. Detail for them desired behavior (such as dress and timeliness) as well as your policies are on sexual harassment, racial and sexual discrimination, use of alcohol, and drugs and tobacco in the workplace (including pre- employment screening and post-accident testing). This section should also address information on how employees handle breaches, or breaking of rules and policies, they see as well as very detailed disciplinary actions that employees should expect when the code is broken. Be very inclusive and detailed in this section. 8. Termination – List the causes for which you fire an employee, including criminal activity, poor performance, dishonesty, security breaches, insubordination, absenteeism, company policy violations, health and safety threats and dress code infractions. Also, add a disclaimer that this is not a contract, policies can be changed at any time, and all employment is “at will”. This means that your company’s relationship with employees is not a guarantee of employment, and can be terminated at any time with or without cause or notice. Finally, outline your grievance procedures. 9. General Information – This section should be geared towards new hires who may not know how to get around, where the bathrooms are, when lunch is and how long, or where they should park, etc. Consider including these items; area maps, parking tags or pass, an organizational chart, phone lists, confidentiality statement, policy on gifts, traffic tickets in company vehicles, and personal phone calls. 10. Forms – It is appropriate to include blank forms like, sick leave, vacation, training leave, grievance, travel reimbursement, performance reviews, and accident reports. 11. Reader Acknowledgement – Protect your liability and encourage employees to read the handbook by having them sign a receipt stating they have been given a handbook and keep a copy in their personnel file. Mandatory Items to Be Included:

Introduction Letter Probationary Period Customer Importance Selling & Solicitation Courtesy and Service Employee Telephone Calls/Texting Our Shop’s Guarantees Safety & Accident Rules Service policy Stealing Breakage Building Security Personal appearance & Cleanliness Sexual/Racial Harassment Dress Code Sick Leave/Funeral Leave/Jury Duty Drugs and Alcohol Policy Tobacco Policy/Time Off Tobacco and Eating/Lunch Periods Attendance Policy Equal Opportunity Termination/Serious Offenses Honesty Use of Company Computers Time Card Procedures/Flat Rate System of Pay Use of Company Property Adhering To Time Schedules Job Descriptions Holidays/Work Hours Service Bay Rules Employee Purchases Vacations and Holidays Confidential Information Benefits Payroll Performance Review Personal Time Off

The size, scope, and style of employee handbooks will vary, some include the company’s mission and vision statements as well as company philosophy. Use search engines to help you define your handbook, however, plagiarizing will result in a zero for this assignment and a referral to Mr. Cognetti.