In a world of short attention spans, where scrolling through documents on screens has become the norm, employees rarely engage with traditional staff handbooks and benefits documentation in the same way they might have done a decade or more ago. This can be concerning for employers, which rely on handbooks to set out rules and communicate benefits.
This may mean people inadvertently fall foul of workplace rules because they have not engaged with and understood them, potentially landing the individual and the employer in trouble, particularly in regulated industries. Employees may also fail to take up benefits in which an employer may have invested significantly. Even employees who took note of an employer’s benefits when they joined may need to refresh their memories about what is on offer when the need arises, for example, if they need to take parental leave, or access medical cover.
Innovative organisations are re-imagining communication in a number of ways.These include interactive digital platforms and online HR portals where policies and benefits information are searchable. In the case of benefits information, these are often personalised to the user and regularly updated, allowing employees to access their benefits details at any time.
Others have introduced chatbots that can provide 24/7 instant answers to workplace questions. Chatbots are not yet a complete replacement for HR-led personalised guidance. Financial, legal and some particularly sensitive matters, such as individualised redundancy pay calculations, still typically require human oversight and formal sign-off, so employers should be careful about how these are deployed. Visual communication via infographics and videos that make complex benefits information digestible and memorable and modular updates that provide bite-sized policy communications delivered when relevant rather than only during an enrolment window are also becoming more popular.
With the proposed Employment Rights Bill introducing day-one rights for unfair dismissal claims, the importance of robust policy and benefits documentation will only increase. Well-documented HR policies serve as crucial evidence in employment tribunals. It will be ever more important for organisations to ensure that they make eligibility criteria for benefits clear, to avoid disputes about what employees are entitled to if they are dismissed and if they successfully claim unfair dismissal.
While innovative approaches improve engagement, completely abandoning traditional policies and benefits documentation could create legal vulnerabilities. The optimal solution is likely to be a two-pronged strategy, where employers maintain compliance documentation, because comprehensive handbooks and benefits documentation remain crucial for legal protection, but also develop engaging communication channels that complement formal documentation with accessible formats that employees will actually consume and understand.
Many organisations are implementing this balanced approach through a compliance-focused handbook and benefits documentation alongside more engaging interactions designed to suit their culture. HR teams are essential in advising on these strategies and managing employee engagement with rules and benefits.
When re-imagining policy and benefits communication, employers must continue to review their approach for effectiveness and ensure that all formats contain consistent information about benefits offerings. It is also essential that the content of any communication remains sufficient for defending legal action, in particular unfair dismissal claims, and, in the case of benefits, for demonstrating compliance with regulatory requirements.
Regular reviews and updates are essential to reflect changing legislation, case law and benefits offerings; and that policies and benefits documentation evolve with the organisation and are cascaded in an inclusive and accessible way.
Employers that successfully balance compliance with engagement stand to gain a significant advantage in employee engagement and retention. Making benefits information more accessible and understandable will ensure that employees fully appreciate the value of, and take up, the benefits available to them.
Sarah Jackman is a counsel in the people, reward and mobility team at Dentons
