5 Essentials for your Staff Manual in 2010: up-to-date? - By Ken Burgin

Chances are it's been added to and edited over the years - does it reflect the real world of 2010? Handbooks set standards and expectations - they're designed to help staff and protect management.

Here are 5 areas where policy is often behind the times:

Anti-Discrimination: what's OK or NOT to say and do? Anti-discimination and affirmative-action laws now cover more and more situations. And staff have easy access to websites that explain their rights and the remedies available if they're unhappy. How do these look in your manual: modern and inclusive, or a reluctant bare minimum? Check government websites for your area - they usually have thorough guidance for employers.

Modern Safety Policies: it's more than just displaying the compulsory posters. Inspectors want to see a culture of care: not just safe equipment, but policies, training and qualifications for key staff. The 17-page Safety Rule Book and the Food & Works Safety Posters downloadable from this site are a great way to update Safety Policies and Procedures. Plus Company Vehicle Rules.

Social Media Policy: there's no avoiding Facebook, MySpace and online chat - most of your staff and managers use them. They need guidance on what's acceptable and not acceptable to say, especially as it relates to the business they work for. Use the Sample Guidelines for Staff on Use of Social Media to set ground rules and ensure everyone knows what's OK.

Family Leave & Carers Leave: rights to time off work are being extended, year by year. In Australia, it's outlined in the Fair Work Statement that must be given to every employee when they start.

Policies that Aren't Hypocritical: do the fine words and sentiments about teamwork and excellence fit with what staff see around them? Are you setting tough rules and demanding Job Descriptions, with no consequences when these standards are not met? Or rules for staff, and a free pass for the boss? Your people have a well-tuned BS meter; when they see the hard parts ignored (like training promises), why should they take notice of demands for attentive service and extra commitment?

Are you game to open up the contents for discussion and revision? Good staff like an organised, predictable workplace: they're unlikely to suggest ditching the rules. But they will find contradictions and out-of-date policy that needs replacing; and you're creating a document that has real 'ownership' rather than just being imposed.


Profitable Hospitality offers management and cost-control systems (Manuals & CD-ROMs) for restaurants, cafes, hotels, bars and clubs. The systems are based on the extensive consulting and operating experience of CEO Ken Burgin, and enable busy owners and managers to set up complete operating and cost-control systems in minutes, not months. Profitable Hospitality also runs regular management training workshops in the areas of kitchen profit & efficiency, restaurant marketing and functions management. A free monthly e-newsletter keeps you up to date on the latest industry management issues. www.profitablehospitality.com.

Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

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