Moreover, a generic handbook may contain policies that are inconsis- tent with your company’s practices or customs. Review. Update. Repeat. Federal, state, and local labor and employment laws are chang- ing constantly. For example, state and federal anti-discrimination laws are in flux with regard to whether discrimination based on sexual ori- entation is unlawful. Conduct that may not have been illegal when your handbook was issued may now be prohibited. With the assis- tance of employment counsel, your human resources professionals should monitor changes in the law and update your company’s poli- cies regularly. In addition to changes in the law, your handbook should keep up with changes in your company’s policies and practices. For example, your handbook should reflect changes in your IT policies or vacation matrix on a timely basis. Your employees must have access to the current policies to reduce your company’s exposure to liability. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote is particularly relevant to employee handbooks. Let me be blunt: each of your employees is a potential plaintiff (or cause of litigation). Making sure you have a compre- hensive, tailored, up-to-date hand- book could save you a substantial amount of time, money, and grief. If you do not have an employee handbook, I strongly recommend that you get one. If you have one, check when it was last updated. If it has been more than a year since its last update, it is time to get your employee handbook up to snuff. Robert Scavone Jr. is an attorney at Jackson Lewis P.C., which rep- resents management exclusively in workplace law and related litigation. Its attorneys are available to assist employers in their compliance efforts and to represent employers in mat- ters before state and federal courts and administrative agencies. Prior to becoming an attorney, Robert was an executive with one of the nation’s largest commercial floor- ing contractors and a member of the NTCA’s Board of Directors and Technical Committee. He works out of the firm’s Miami office and can be reached at 305-577-7619 or Robert. Scavone@JacksonLewis.com. This article is provided for infor- mational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice nor does it create an attorney/client rela- tionship between Jackson Lewis P.C. and any readers or recipients. Readers should consult counsel of their own choosing to discuss how these matters relate to their indi- vidual circumstances. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without the express written consent of Jackson Lewis P.C. BUSINESS TIP –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 32 TileLetter | June 2017