Here's a few guides to follow this summer as you revisit your handbook:
—First before you start to dig into anything deeper, look at the tone. Is your handbook jumbled with lawyer jargon and dull, incomprehensible statements? (The presence of a lot of "notwithstandings" and "wherefores" will be your first indication of this problem!). Your employee handbook should reflect your mission and your culture. The tone should be one that is clear but also supportive. Try to keep your lingo as friendly and welcoming, if not encouraging, as possible. (The folks in your Marketing or Development Department can be very helpful here). This is your new faculty and staff's first impression of your school—make a good one.
—After you've examined your handbook's tone and made some notes on how to improve (or decided yours was pretty much right-on), you're ready to start getting into the meat of it. Your policies, federal and state laws, disclaimers—this is where you'll want to concentrate. We have a great Webinar coming up that highlights six key policies every private school's handbook should include. Check out the link below.
—When you've reached the areas of your handbook that discuss discipline, try not to detail exactly how you must handle any particular situation. Why not? Because it locks you into handling each situation the same regardless of when you're faced with an unusual circumstance. Keep this area clear, but flexible. Wording such areas with language such as, "intending to," "may," "commonly," "ordinarily," or "in most cases" will allow you to handle each situation in the uniqueness of which it arises. A good example would be instead of saying "every teacher will be observed in the classroom three times a year," say "teaching faculty may be observed in the classroom periodically throughout the year." Only say "must" (or other such definitive phrases) when this absolutely, positively will be the case.
—In the fall, or late summer, when faculty and staff return to school, have them sign an acknowledgment that they've received the new policy manual. Don't casually pass them out during orientation without record of who received a new manual and who did not. Without record, employees can later say they were not aware of any such policy or policy changes. Position the acknowledgement to say that the employee "has received and will read and abide by" the policies—rather than saying they "have read the policies"—which, unless they are really "speed readers," wouldn't be true at the moment you hand out the acknowledgment forms.
