In addition, with the assistance of legal counsel, the task can be managed efficiently, while still ensuring that the practice has optimum protection from legal risk and fostering a sense of fairness to employees. While many good handbook tools exist on the internet and for purchase, these tools should be used only as a template or starting point.  Specific issues must be evaluated depending upon the unique concerns of each employer and even geographic location, especially in the highly-regulated healthcare field.  Every physician practice should place an employee handbook update, complete with legal guidance, on its to-do list every year.

Program Highlights—Issues discussed in the audio conference will include:

Is It Worth the Effort?  Having a handbook can minimize several types of legal risk.  On the other hand, an improperly drafted employee handbook can create legal risk of its own.  We will discuss how to strike the right balance to make your handbook worth your while.

The Bare Necessities:  A host of federal and state laws require, or make it highly beneficial for, an employer to have written policies on certain employment issues.  A handbook is a perfect tool to communicate these policies.  In addition, certain employment policies often support important defenses to employment lawsuits and therefore should also be included.  We will give you a checklist to ensure you have covered the basic

Overhandbooking: Too many pages and policies thwart the purpose of the handbook.  The handbook should instead highlight the existence and effect of certain policies.  Burying these important policies in a dense handbook dilutes their significance and impact on employees.  We will discuss those policies you can discard from your handbook and communicate in other ways.

Policy Potpourri: Several other types of policies have become popular recently and may be included in a handbook depending on the circumstances.  Other types of policies speak to issues specific to a physician practice.  You may get some ideas for your handbook you might not have otherwise considered, giving you an edge in managing your practice.

Shay Ellen Zeemer practices litigation and counseling in Labor and Employment Law at the Powell Goldstein office in Atlanta, Georgia. Her practice includes representing management in employment discrimination lawsuits in various state, federal and administrative jurisdictions, including race, sex, disability, family and medical leave, and other discrimination claims.