When to update policy manuals

Policy manuals and employee handbooks should be updated to reflect any changes in policies and benefits, and to stay current with new legal issues and human resources best practices.

Many old policy manuals contain statements that can limit management's employment-at-will prerogatives and be used against the employer in a wrongful discharge claim.

Also, most work places now have electronic communications tools (Internet access, email, voicemail, text messaging, paging) that were not envisioned when policy manuals were prepared several years ago. Policy guidelines should be developed or updated to deal with these 21st Century issues.