An effective office policy uses clear language, contains a wide scope of policies and should require employees to sign an acknowledgment that have read and understood the manual.
Looking for an office policy template? You can purchase this through the REALTOR® Store.
Discover tips from business professional to create your employee handbook. Set clear expectations, modify your policies as needed and follow those policies.
Some states have policy manual templates for their members. Members are encouraged to contact their state association to see if a template is available.
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Source: Developing a Policy Manual (National Association of REALTORS® Human Resources Toolkit)
Are you looking for assistance in developing an employee manual? NAR has a sample manual for you to tailor for your employees.
Many brokerages have the autonomy required to set their own policies, depending on the topic. While an office’s parent company may take a more hands-off approach to setting policies and establishing guidelines for how agents conduct their business, managing brokers are responsible for ensuring their associates follow the rules.
Create an employee handbook that clearly communicates essential information to employees to foster a positive workplace culture.
Employee Handbooks outline the employer’s expectations for workplace conduct and should clearly describe policies and procedures to which employees should adhere.
Don’t leave out time-off policies, including FMLA, pregnancy and maternity, jury duty, military or other reasons to miss work.
Wise employers will include language giving them the right to modify a handbook’s provisions since both the applicable law and the business needs of an employer frequently change. Such language helps temper employee expectations by alerting them that policies may change in the middle of their employment.
If you'd like to be certain that your employee has read the entire document, you can include an acknowledgment form at the end. They can either sign a paper copy or add a digital signature.
You likely have a general anti-discrimination policy in your handbook. But if it’s more than a year or so old, it’s probably not broad enough. Don’t simply state that you do not discriminate. Include language consistent with the Supreme Court’s recent decisions that say Title VII’s sex discrimination provisions also cover sexual orientation and gender identity.
Developing a Policy Manual (National Association of REALTORS® Human Resources Toolkit)
Be sure to check out the 'related documents' in the box on the right side of the page for sample drug and harassment policy suggestions.
Several state associations have developed sample policy manuals for their members, not all of which are available on the open web. Members are encouraged to contact their state association to see if a template is available.
Note: Many of these samples were developed by state or local associations based on local laws and regulations that may be different from those of your state. As with any legal document, you are strongly encouraged to seek legal counsel to make sure your version is compliant with the law after you modify it for your business. Again, these samples are meant to be used as guides for members. The information should not be construed as a recommendation by NAR for any course of action regarding financial, legal or accounting matters. It is not meant as a substitute for professional advice from a qualified legal, accounting or financial professional.
The Guide and sample agreements are not intended to substitute for Principal Broker’s own careful consideration and judgment regarding what written policies, procedures and agreements are in the best interests of the brokerage. Instead, the Guide and sample agreements are intended to aid Principal Brokers by suggesting areas typically covered by such agreements and office policy manuals. Similarly, the language used in the Guide and sample agreements is intended to suggest the kind of language that might be used in such documents. It is not necessary, or even desirable in all circumstances, to use the exact language found in the Guide and sample agreements in developing your own office policy and agreements.
An employee handbook should be a living document. For this reason, you should make proactive updates. Companies that have been keeping their handbook current have prevented many problems. For example, those that created a social media policy 20 years ago saved a lot of hassle. Similarly, those that trained hiring managers on legal interview questions reduced the risk of a lawsuit. In addition, those that addressed sexual harassment were ahead of the game.
Pronto Marketing's employee handbook webpage is an example of a near-perfect employee handbook. The firm produced an easy-to-read and appealing guide while ensuring that no crucial information gets omitted. Moreover, their contemporary-looking table of contents informs what readers are getting into, which is straight-up excellent.
The Netflix HR handbook is basically a case of “simple yet effective.” Netflix doesn’t mince its words when it comes to educating employees – you’ll find a well-designed 129-slide slideshow full of short, simple sentences. Some companies take the comedy approach to keep their policy manual engaging, but Netflix has gone for the “straight to the point” approach by eliminating all the fluff. It’s very blunt and easy to grasp, as a handbook should be.
This sample customizable employee manual geared toward local REALTOR® Associations is available to you in downloadable MS Word format. Manual includes topics on technology, time off, compensation, disciplinary policies, and more. [for purchase]
Prepared by real estate regulators to assist a broker who is considering owning and/or operating a real estate brokerage, as this endeavor comes with much responsibility and liability.
When implementing employment policies pursuant to these Guidelines, the association should affirm the at-will status of its employees and include language to disclaim the formation of a contract with its employees. The association should also consult with legal counsel to ensure that the disclaimer and policies are consistent with applicable law.
As a member benefit, the following resources and more are available for loan through the NAR Library. Items will be mailed directly to you or made available for pickup at the REALTOR® Building in Chicago.
Office Policy Manual (Madison, WI: Wisconsin REALTORS® Association, 2007) HF 5438 W75
Office Policy Manual (Novato, CA: Professional Publishers, Inc. 2000) HF 5438 M19o
Workplace Law and Office Policies (Chicago, IL: National Association of REALTORS®, 2001) HF 5549 N16wl
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