HR Policy & Employee Handbook Development Winnipeg

Employee handbook and HR policy review at FHB HR

Why It Matters

That handbook you copied years ago is probably not protecting you

Most small and mid-sized businesses run on a handbook pulled from a template, a Google Doc nobody has opened in years, or nothing at all. It works fine until a complaint, a termination or a leave request lands, and suddenly nobody can point to what the rules actually are.

Your handbook is also one of the first things a new hire reads. We write policies that set clear expectations, reflect the culture you want, and give your managers something solid to stand on when a hard conversation comes up.

What We Build

From a single policy you need this month to a complete handbook for a growing team, every document is written for your business and checked against Manitoba legislation.

Employee Handbooks

A complete, plain-language handbook covering hours, pay, leaves, conduct, discipline, safety and how employment ends. One reference your whole team can rely on.

Required Manitoba Policies

The written policies Manitoba expects you to have, including the harassment prevention policy every employer must post and the safety and health program required where 20 or more workers are regularly employed.

Workplace Policies

Code of conduct, attendance, remote and hybrid work, technology and social media, confidentiality, conflict of interest and anything else your business needs spelled out.

Manager Procedures

Step-by-step guidance for applying policies consistently: handling complaints, progressive discipline, leave requests and documentation, so every manager follows the same process.

How It Works

From what you have today to policies your team actually uses

A policy only protects you if people know it exists and managers apply it the same way every time. So we don’t stop at the writing.

Discovery

We learn how your business runs, where the friction is, and what has gone wrong before, so the policies solve real problems instead of hypothetical ones.

Gap Review

We review your existing documents against Manitoba’s Employment Standards Code, workplace safety and health requirements and the Human Rights Code, and flag what’s missing or out of date.

Plain-Language Drafting

We write or rewrite each policy in clear, direct language that sets expectations without reading like a legal contract.

Review With You

You see every draft before it’s final. If you want your employment lawyer to review specific clauses, we work alongside them.

Rollout

We help you introduce the handbook to your team, collect signed acknowledgements, and walk managers through how to apply it.

Keep It Current

Legislation changes and so does your business. We can review your policies annually or bring them into an ongoing fractional HR engagement.

Good policies make hard moments easier. When a complaint comes in or a termination is on the table, a clear, consistently applied policy is what lets you act with confidence. It’s also what gives a workplace investigation a standard to measure against.

Is This For You?

Most businesses come to us when they’ve grown past the point where everyone just knows the rules, or right after a situation showed them the rules weren’t written down anywhere.

This is a fit when…

You don’t have a handbook, or yours came from a template years ago
Your team has grown and managers are applying rules differently
You’re not sure you have the written policies Manitoba requires
A recent complaint, termination or leave exposed a gap
You’ve moved to remote or hybrid work and the rules never caught up

You may need someone else when…

You need a legal opinion on an active dispute or lawsuit (that’s a job for an employment lawyer, and we’re happy to work with yours)
Your handbook was professionally reviewed in the last year and nothing has changed

Policy & Handbook FAQ

Common questions, answered straight

Is an employee handbook legally required in Manitoba?

No law says you must have a document called an employee handbook. But Manitoba does require some written policies. Every employer, regardless of size, must develop and implement a written harassment prevention policy under section 10.1 of the Workplace Safety and Health Regulation, create it in consultation with your safety and health committee, representative or workers, and post it in a conspicuous place at the workplace. Under section 7.4 of The Workplace Safety and Health Act, any workplace where 20 or more workers are regularly employed also needs a written workplace safety and health program. A handbook is the practical place to keep those required policies alongside the rules your team actually works by, so everyone has one clear reference.

What should an employee handbook include?

At minimum: hours of work, pay and overtime, vacation and leaves, attendance, code of conduct, harassment prevention and how complaints are handled, discipline, health and safety, confidentiality, technology and social media use, and how employment ends. From there it should reflect how your business actually runs, whether that means remote work rules, a driving policy, or how your team handles client information.

Can you update our existing handbook instead of starting over?

Yes, and often that’s the right call. We review what you have against current Manitoba legislation and how your business operates today, keep what works, rewrite what doesn’t, and fill the gaps. If the existing document is too far gone, we’ll tell you plainly and rebuild it.

Do you just use templates?

We start from a proven structure so nothing important gets missed, but every policy is written for your business: your size, your industry, your culture and the way your managers actually make decisions. A template copied from the internet is usually written for another province, another industry, or both.

Are your policies legal advice?

No. We’re HR professionals led by CPHR-designated partners, not lawyers. Our policies are built on Manitoba’s employment standards, workplace safety and health, and human rights legislation, and written to hold up in practice. If you want a legal opinion on a specific clause or an active dispute, we’re happy to work alongside your employment lawyer.

How often should HR policies be updated?

Review them at least once a year, and any time the law changes or your business does: new locations, remote work, rapid hiring, or a complaint that exposed a gap. Policies that sit untouched for years drift out of date, and an outdated policy can do more harm than having none at all.

Clear policies, fewer surprises