Most smart entrepreneurs and all large corporations have Employee Relations Manuals. Nearly all businesses with over five or more employees have some sort of employee manuals but not all have Employee Relations Manuals for their managers. It is important in today's litigious lawyer trap to have a good policy in place to protect you from a bad decision or improper handling of an employee situation by a manager. All too often a minor incident can lead to a problematic situation and end up in court, union arbitration or a hefty fine from a government regulatory agency which often tend to side with the employee, regardless of fact.

Defusing situations early on can help your team avoid costly litigation and rectify situations quickly. During my 24-years as an entrepreneur operating a small business, which grew into the largest mobile car wash company on the Planet operating in 23 states and four countries, it became apparent to me that having a proper policy for the treatment of employees was a quintessential part of keeping the team strong. It is important to win markets and not allow your company to be torn down from the inside out. Below is the outline for our employee relation manual. I cannot give you the full version and the case law might change in the future and case me to be named in a lawsuit for merely giving you this free knowledge. What I recommend you do with this outline below is modify it to fit your business model and then write 2-3 paragraphs for each item and then take it to an employment lawyer to review. Yes, I know, you do not like lawyers, neither do I, but a little bit of preventive maintenance on your employee relations manual may save you hundreds of thousands of dollars as your company grows. Even one sexual harassment lawsuit can cost that much. There is much more to a complete manual of this type, however much is also boilerplate and law related which you can add in after you have completed this important exercise. Here is our outline; you are welcome to it.

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

I. LISTENING

A. Repeat (Summarize)

B. Goals

C. Promotions

D. Back Them Up

II. COMPANY MEETINGS

A. Pizza

B. BBQ's

C. Fishing

D. Lake, Etc.

III. CORPORATE MEETINGS

A. Invite

B. Attend

C. Car Pool

D. Send To Manager Training

IV. THANKS

A. Notes

B. Atta-Boys

C. Lunch

V. SHOW UP ON JOBS

A. Help

B. Praise

C. Tell Them Of Compliments From Customers

D. Tell Family And Friends

E. Raises

F. Etc.

VI. HIRING FRIENDS

A. Be Careful

B. Up Front

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs