Some federal and state laws do not apply to private
sector employees. The employees’ rights in such
cases are subject to the outlined policy of the employer.
There is no federal or state employment law for
severance
pay, sick leave, vacations, etc., and in such
cases it is the policy statement of the employer that
is followed. It is better to go though the policy
statement of the employer at the time of appointment.
It makes the employee well aware about his/her rights
in regard to
probation, promotion, termination,
employee privacy, etc. It highlights organizational
requirements, rules, and regulations. Policies can
be communicated in various ways: through employee
handbooks, memos, union contracts, etc.
The company policy usually includes-
 |
Statement of the
company's goals and philosophy |
|
Working hours |
|
Statement of nondiscrimination
|
|
Procedures and policies for
absence from work |
|
Performance evaluation procedures
|
|
Pay periods |
|
Safety and accident rules |
|
Use of company property |
|
Vacation and holiday policies
|
However, the employer can change
the policy statement at any time. But employees have
to be notified about the possible changes taking place.
Some state courts have held that a handbook is like
a contract, unless the handbook disclaims itself in
writing. The policies should be uniformly applied
to all the employees; it cannot discriminate between
employees. Employees can file a case of discrimination,
if they have been overlooked (in spite of a company
policy for a certain privilege) because of age, color,
race, sex, or disability.
