An employee handbook can provide
a great deal of useful information to
employees, and it can also provide
important legal protections for an
employer. A well-written handbook
gives employees important information
about an employer's dismissal or promotion
procedures, benefit schedule,
probation periods, and other critical
employment issues.
However, an employee handbook or
manual can also be a legal liability to
an employer if a court interprets the
handbook as a binding contract
between employer and employee. In
many states, this likely will happen
unless the handbook contains an
effective disclaimer.
At-Will Employment
When an employer simply hires an
employee, the parties enter a relationship
called "employment at will."
At-will employment means that the
relationship has no specific duration,
and that either the employer or