Employers never think it could happen to them, but it happens more than you think - they get sued by an employee. Often these suits arise from what is "not said" to the employee when hired, or during the employment. What "they" don't know can hurt YOU!

The simple truth is that most of these lawsuits could be avoided with a simple "Employee Handbook." This valuable, but simple tool can protect you from a variety of potential problems. For instance:

Do your employees KNOW if your company does or does not pay severance to terminated employees, whether they quit, are laid off or are fired for any reason? They better, or you might end up paying it whether you want to or not.

Do they know that if their hours are cut back THEY may have to pay ALL of the insurance premiums? Or if a child loses dependent status, does the employee realize that child will no longer be covered by the plan?

With the death of an immediate family member, does the employee know how many (if any) days of bereavement leave they have? And is it with or without pay? Who constitutes "immediate" family?

These are just a few of the MANY little things that can blossom into BIG problems if they are not addressed formally and in writing. And it is NOT hard to do. A simple employee manual does not take much work to put together. But you could benefit from some professional assistance, especially if you have an outdated manual.

For instance, have you reviewed your employee manual to make sure it complies with the latest COBRA/HIPAA regulations?

Granite Benefits can assist you in developing or updating your Employee Handbook. We can make sure your document falls into compliance for the many issues that you could face. And that could save you from many potential problems in the future. Give us a call to set up an appointment to review your Employee Handbook.