PPB October 2016

74 / 112

If it has been a few years
since you last updated your
employee handbook (and if you
don’t have one, we need to talk),
now might be a good time to dust
it off and give it a good update.
On the federal, state and even
local levels, there have been
many new laws enacted and
critical court decisions that need
to be reflected in your handbook.
Here are just a few:
1Protected Speech And
Social Media. Mobile
devices are increasingly
becoming a mainstream
workplace tool, and the use of
social media permeates both our
personal and professional lives.
While the positive aspects of
these tools are obvious, there are
serious concerns. For example,
companies want their employees
to share positive, relevant
information about the business,
but not negative or confidential
information. Few handbooks
older than three or four years
have sufficient language to
address this concern.
Your employee handbook should
discuss appropriate online
conduct. It is fine to contain
language prohibiting employees
from revealing confidential
business information, such
as data on vendors and
customers, but the text should
avoid any language that could
be interpreted as infringing
on speech and actions that
the National Labor Relations
Act (NLRA) protects, such
as discussions on terms and
conditions of employment
including wages, hours,
collective bargaining and
working conditions.
2 LGBT Rights. In 2015,
the U.S. Supreme Court
decided that states must
recognize same-sex marriages
and companies must provide
same-sex married couples the
same health and retirement
Make certain
these new
laws and recent
court decisions
are part of
your document.
by Claudia St. John
Five Updates
Your Employee
Handbook
Needs Now
72 | OCTOBER 2016 |
THINK