University News

Employee Handbook Seminar June 8 in Canton

May 19, 2006

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MACOMB, IL - - Too often smaller businesses look at an employee handbook as something for the big guys, not for them. Clearly, this is a dangerous position to take. Lawsuits for wrongful termination alone had a median rate of $250,000 in 2003, nearly double the median in 1997, according to Catherine M. Padalino in an October 2005 article in The Financial Manager magazine. An employee handbook also provides an important opportunity to set the tone for the employment experience by providing basic rules and direction.

“Many critical issues can be resolved by having a proper employee handbook in place,” said Dan Voorhis, director and certified business specialist at the Western Illinois University Small Business Development Center. “Proper construction and regular administrative updating of the employee handbook has become a necessity in today’s business environment.”

Small businesses with only a few employees often feel that creation of an employee handbook is a tedious, unnecessary experience.

To address this misconception, the WIU Small Business Development Center (SBCD), the Spoon River Partnership for Economic Development, the Canton Area Chamber of Commerce and Spoon River College are sponsoring an employee handbook seminar featuring Richard Galbreath, a nationally published author, speaker, trainer, consultant and founder of Performance Growth Partners, Inc. Galbreath’s presentation will include:

• How a good handbook will help reduce unnecessary unemployment, tax and other costs, limit liability and promote productivity in your business.

• What your handbook should contain.

• What your handbook should not contain.
The seminar will be held from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 8 at the Donaldson Community Center, Wallace Park, 250 South Avenue D, Canton.

Pre-registration is required; contact Spoon River Partnership for Economic Deveopment at 309/647-2677. The program is free to all Canton Area Chamber of Commerce members and $20 for non-members. Business owners, human resource practitioners or anyone interested in writing or improving their employee handbooks are invited to attend.

For more information, contact the WIU Small Business Development Center at 309/836-2640 or www.wiusbdc.org.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing