From Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development
https://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/2022/02/10/new-resource-example-ny-employee-handbook/
We’re introducing a new resource on Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development’s Employee Handbook page. We’ve posted an example employee handbook customized for New York farm employers. Starting with a Michigan State example from 2014, our team worked to develop an example farm employee handbook that New York farm employers can use either as a starting point to develop their own handbook or as a tool for comparison with an existing handbook. There was much to add, including information about sexual harassment prevention, sick leave, and other matters. We collaborated with Attorneys Michael Sciotti and Megan Bahas from the Barclay Damon firm in Syracuse to help make sure the handbook was current with existing laws. Of course, this example handbook is provided for educational purposes only, employers are responsible for ensuring that their handbook is compliant with state and federal laws and regulations.
To access the example:
- Click on Employee Handbook. This will open the file as a preview in the Box file storage site.
- Click the “Download” button in the upper right corner of the page.
- Typically, the downloaded file will appear at the bottom of your screen. You can then open the file, edit, and save on your computer.
When you commit to
preparing and distributing a written employee handbook it’s important to follow through and implement policies consistently. You must also plan to update the handbook on a regular basis, at least annually, to make sure it is accurate and compliant with law. I’ve seen situations where an employer copied an old printed handbook for many years, unfortunately, legal changes in the course of time caused many of those written policies to be out of compliance with current law. The resources we provide can help you get started, but it’s always a good idea to have an employee handbook reviewed by appropriate legal counsel before putting it into effect.
Special thanks to Lucas Smith, a senior in Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Lucas has worked with our program for several years and he did a great deal of work on this project!
– Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development