Employee Handbook (Reviewed & Tailored)

An employee handbook is the single most important HR document in your business. It sets expectations, communicates policies, and provides the written foundation for disciplinary, grievance, and performance management processes.

What Is Included?

Our employee handbook service provides a comprehensive handbook tailored to your business covering: introduction and company values, working hours, leave policies (annual, sick, maternity, paternity, parental, force majeure), disciplinary and grievance procedures, dignity at work and anti-harassment policy, data protection and confidentiality, social media policy, remote and hybrid working policy, right to disconnect policy, performance management, and health and safety statement.

Why a Tailored Handbook Matters

A handbook downloaded from the internet or based on a generic template creates significant legal risk — policies that don’t reflect how your business actually operates cannot be enforced and may create legal liability. O’Grady Solicitors & Co. review your existing arrangements and tailor every policy to your specific business.

Delivery

We deliver your employee handbook as a professionally formatted Word document ready to issue to employees, with a template acknowledgement form for employees to sign confirming receipt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an employee handbook legally required in Ireland?

No single document called an “employee handbook” is legally required. However, many of the policies it contains are legally required — particularly the disciplinary procedure, grievance procedure, and dignity at work policy. A handbook is the most efficient way to meet all these obligations in one document.

How often should an employee handbook be updated?

An employee handbook should be reviewed annually and updated whenever there is a significant change in employment law, your business, or your working arrangements. Key recent changes requiring review include the right to request remote working, enhanced sick pay, and the right to disconnect.

Can employees be bound by an employee handbook?

Yes — provided the handbook is incorporated into the employment contract (either expressly or by reference) and employees have acknowledged receipt. A signature confirmation is essential to enforce handbook policies.