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