Why employee manuals are so important
How many of you remember getting hired and being given some 10 to 100 page manual that you are suppose to read and then sign indicating that you understand what you read????
A lot of you should have raised your hands. I can confidently say that one of the single most boring activities has to be the reading employee manuals. Most of us when we start our jobs are so happy to be working that we barely even skim the pages and go RIGHT to the page where it says sign. In some cases, we don’t even know where the employee manual is after we signed it.
Unfortunately, in too many instances, when something crazy jumps off at our work place, the best tool for identifying your rights is that employee manual.
Now, that may do nothing for you if you are in a tough situation but here are a few things you should think about:
1) When you get hired
Read! Read! Read! I know it’s boring and I know you feel it’s a waste of your time but TAKE the opportunity to read the employee manual. This way, you are up to speed on what you are entitled and your job rights.
2) What should you be looking for?
You definitely want to focus on any grievance procedure and disciplinary protocol. You want to know what you need to do if you are contesting your discipline or what the grounds are for disciplining you.
3) What if they don’t have one?
Some employers may not have an employee handbook or policy manual. In some states, they may not be required to have one so don’t be surprised if they don’t.
4) While you’re working
Ask your employer if they have periodically updated the employee manual. If they don’t have one, ask if they intend produce one. More importantly, if you receive updates from your employer regarding Human Resource policies and procedures, READ! READ! READ!
5) When something goes bad
Here’s where most people are interested. And this situation can sometimes be delicate. If you are unsure about your rights, don’t be afraid to ask to review the employee manual. If you are still tentative about going to your supervisor, go speak to Human Resources and ask for a copy (Or at least a review).
The employee manual (if your employer has one) is a valuable tool that can be your best friend and ally in situations involving your employment. Don’t be school to check to see if your rights are violated. If you don’t, no one else will.
To quit or NOT to quit: Be mindful of HOW you leave your job
One of the most significant points in a person’s life is the point at which they must end their service of employment. Unfortunately, the WAY the employment ends may either be amicable or hostile, mutual or unilateral, or voluntary or involuntary.
Sometimes, the way we leave can be even trickier when you factor in unemployment compensation, severance pay, recommendations, and references. So you can easily see how difficult it may be from a technical standpoint with regards to leaving your job.
Alot of times, when we find ourselves in a position of realizing that our employment with an employer may be coming to an end, a whole lot of things come into play. You ask yourself “Do I wait until I’m fired or do I quit?”, “Should I start looking for another job or should I ride out with this one?”, or “Should I ask if my job is safe or should I just do my own thing?”.
With so many situations and scenarios in front of us, we ask ourselves “What should I do?”:
1) START LOOKING NOW. As tough as it may seems, the reality is that companies are downsizing and cutting costs. As a result, the cost may include reducing the number of employees. Most of us don’t move with a sense of urgency unless we have to and let me tell you, if you are losing your job, THAT is a sense of urgency.
2) ASK ABOUT YOUR JOB AND YOUR FUTURE. Listen, a company may say that your jobs aren’t in jeopardy but if enough information is floating out there to let people know that things may be getting tight, you can’t sit by comfortably and trust that your company is going to keep rolling. Ask what the future may hold. More importantly, ask for a good letter of recommendation in the event you decide to start looking.
3) DON’T DO ANYTHING STUPID. When your job get tense, people get angry. Don’t sit there and think that just because your boss made you mad you can just leave your job for a day to cool off. Leaving your job may be considered ‘JOB’ abandonment. As such, in some states, you may not be able to collect Unemployment.
4) DO I RESIGN or SHOULD I BE TERMINATED? Now, here’s the million dollar question, “Do I resign or should I be terminated?”. Here’s how it flows, if you resign, you leave on your terms. You have the ability to end your employment and from this point on, if anyone questions your end of your services, you can say that YOU ended your employment. However, if you voluntary end your services, in most cases, you can’t apply for unemployment compensation. Now, if you decide to let the company terminate you, you can now draw unemployment. This way, you can ensure that you have some income coming into the house while you look for a new job. However, when you apply for a new job, you still have to inform future employers that you were terminated from service.
The one thing this economy has done was put our society in the unique situation of evaluating our next career move. The time for being at a company for 20 years is probably rapidly leaving our society. As such, we have to be more aggressive about the moves that we make to ensure our health and prosperity.
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