Employee management is one of the most taxing duties of running a salon. You need to draw up work contracts, accurately track commissions for each of your workers, communicate expected standards, direction, and more.

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An employee handbook is synonymous to having a silent partner that communicates what is expected of your team both in your presence and absence. Without it, you will not be able to optimally drive your business forward.

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Let's quickly go over a few reasons why you need a salon employee handbook.

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Do you really need a Salon Employee Handbook?

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1. It helps your staff understand your salon's policies.

New employees are an important part of your salon. But if you run a busy franchise, the induction process is likely to be rushed or even overlooked.

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Thankfully, with your handbook in place, your employee will know what is expected of them regarding dress code, ant-harassment, company culture, and a lot more. 

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In short, any question your staff has can easily be answered by the handbook from benefits, and company culture to dispute resolution.

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Related: Unlock the benefits of online salon scheduling systems to streamline your bookings.

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Play safe. Remain legally compliant.

A handbook makes your staff aware of their rights and privileges. And if it is up to date, and unfortunately an employee drags you to court, it could save you and your company a lot of money.

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What should be included in a salon employee handbook?

As the boss, you must have an idea of how you want your employees to conduct themselves, what they should earn, and contract agreements. This is by no chance an easy task. It can be a good idea to get legal assistance.

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Nevertheless, here are a couple of important details to capture in a salon employee handbook.

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• Induction and welcome letter
• Salon dress code
• Conflict of interest & outside employment 
• Salary and commission 
• Expenses
• Deductions
• Hours of work
• Parental leave
• Attendance
• Sick pay and sick leave
• Performance analysis and appraisal
• Confidentiality 
• Disciplinary procedure 
• Complaints procedure 
• Use of mobile phones, social media
• Holiday entitlement 
• Change of terms of employment 
• Contract termination 
• Pensions
• Bullying and harassment and much more
• Definitions 

Related: Learn more about the significance of salon maintenance and cleaning.

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7 tips to draft a great Salon Handbook that your employees will read

Many employees don't read regular handbooks. Don’t create a regular handbook. Create an excellent one. Here are some tips:

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1. Start with your mission statement and up next, your business culture.

Your salon is a business, not a brotherhood. As such, first and foremost, your employees need to know what they need to be working towards and what culture to adopt while at it.

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Related: Check out our easy-to-follow pricing guide for salons.

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2. Make the handbook your go-to communication manual

Add a clause in the handbook that lets employees know every issue will be resolved by the handbook. This is especially in incidents where a rule or rules have been violated. I.e, "What does our handbook say regarding this?"

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The handbook will only be useful if it is simple and straightforward in communication. For example, in the first instance of a rule violation, one gets a verbal warning, in the second instance, a written warning, and in the third one, remedial training.

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3. Use tabbed sections

Divide your employee's handbook into sections for easy reference. 

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For instance:

A. Induction Guidelines 

B. Rules and Regulations 

C. Business Duties and Hours

D. Benefits

E. Parental Leave

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And so forth.

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4. Make your book fun and engaging

Are you aware Zappos writes their handbook in a comic book manner? This encourages employees to read to the end, with enjoyment while still getting the message. Spice things up with visuals.

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5. Promote your perks

Employee handbooks easily come off as negative, especially when they communicate rules and the consequences for their violation. But guess what human beings have a natural inclination to "What's in it for me?"‍

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So, as far as the rules and regulations have to be in the handbook, you still need to sell your staff benefits. Let the first few pages talk about all the perks your employees are entitled to. 

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6. Use templates 

If you can't write your own salon employee handbook, then use templates. If you use a salon management software, it should be easy to get pre-made templates or even easily drag a template over to the platform.

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7. Review your handbook annually 

Not only do labor laws change frequently but so do businesses. Therefore, it's best to review the employee handbook annually. In case any changes are made, be sure to notify your employees.

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Related: Learn effective salon inventory management.

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Summing it all up

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Obtaining new clients and retaining them is one of the most difficult aspects of running a business.

Success or failure in this area lies with your team. If managed well through a salon employee handbook, your staff can ensure you smile every time you look at your business's bottom line.

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To streamline your day-to-day operations, there are Salon POS systems that come with employee handbooks as part of the package. Try such cloud-based tools to improve efficiency by minimizing errors inherent in manual activities.

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