A solid employee handbook is critical. Here's why you need a good one.

Once considered extra paperwork you received in a stack on your first day on the job, Employee Handbooks are getting a facelift and a rewrite. Here are seven reasons why your company needs an Employee Handbook:

The workplace is sometimes a murky place to navigate. You have a meeting of minds, a clashing of personalities, a range of talents, and probably a pecking order too. You’re all in this together. The Employee Handbook serves as a guide that applies to everyone from intern to owner and sets the standard of treatment and shared vision.

How are performance issues addressed prior to termination? What does an employee who has an issue with a supervisor or coworker do? Established employees don’t necessarily wonder if they have bereavement, medical or maternity leave until they need it. New hires, who are typically overloaded with information, need something they can refer back to. Make life easier. Put the answers in your Employee Handbook and save everyone some awkwardness.

If you employ managers or supervisors without providing an Employee Handbook, chances are you have given them unnecessary work. Do we get Presidents’ Day off? Do we get Black Friday off? Can I wear jeans? Flip flops? So, how is my vacation tallied again? Will I get a yearly performance review? Do I get time and a half for working on a holiday? The Employee Handbook is a resource that employees can use to plan their personal lives, without having to ask a supervisor every time they need to refresh their memories.

An employee looking to advance will embrace your company’s values, work to meet and exceed your expectations and embody the information contained in the Employee Handbook. What are your expectations exactly? An old, out-of-date Handbook that doesn’t reflect where your company is today isn’t going to help your next superstar rise.

Do you think your company’s values, culture, expectations, etc. are implicit in the vibe you put out or the mood in the break room? Think again. Your Employee Handbook helps set the tone, direction, and essence of your company. Your Handbook is how you sell your company to your employees.

Not everything you read is true until it shows up in the Employee Handbook. Your content is your company’s truth. You can state your goals, lay out your policies, repeat your mantra, inform your employees, cover your bases, and repeat your mantra. Make your mission resonate in one go-to guide.

Your Employee Handbook is your first line of protection against litigation. Spell out your policies proactively and save yourself future headaches.