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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the advantages of creating and using an employee handbook?

A well-written handbook communicates to employees important information about your company and its practices. It establishes clear procedures and policies for a variety of situations; provides guidance on personnel matters, such as leaves of absence; and explains your benefits package, to name a few things.

The absence of a formal handbook — or a poorly drafted one — can cause many problems for employers. For example, policies that are too rigid can limit an employer’s discretion and flexibility in dealing with the wide variety of circumstances that occur in the workplace. And when policies are too broad or general, administering company policies consistently and fairly can be difficult. A well-written handbook can avoid these issues.

Why do I need a Spanish version of the handbook?

California's workforce includes a large Spanish-speaking population. A Spanish employee handbook is the best way to clearly communicate your company policies to employees whose primary language is Spanish and to help protect your company from employment-related lawsuits.

How has the new Employee Handbook Creator changed from the previous version?

You may have noticed some significant changes to our Employee Handbook Creator site! We’ve been listening to customer feedback and implemented changes to enhance the overall user experience, including:

  • Simplifying the process for updating out-of-date policies;
  • Updating functionality to view current policies within your handbook;
  • Enhancing the ability to add/delete/change policies within a handbook;
  • Crafting an EHC Wizard Planning Guide so you’re prepared before starting the Wizard; and
  • More!

How much time should I set aside to complete my employee handbook using the Wizard?

The time required to complete the Wizard varies depending on the size of your company, benefits offered and if you have locations in cities with additional laws/ordinances. On average, please allow one to two hours to complete the Wizard, review and edit the content, and export your handbook.

In order to best prepare and ultimately reduce the number of times you need to exit and save, download our EHC Wizard Planning Guide that highlights the information required during the Wizard interview.

How do I know which policies I need?

The Wizard will add required policies to your handbook based on the answers you provide throughout the Wizard process.

If you have additional questions about which policies might be useful to your company, please see the Policies - Mandatory, Suggested and Optional chart, which provides an overview of the policies available through the Employee Handbook Creator.

CalChamber is not engaged in rendering legal, technical, or other professional advice or service. Nothing in the Policies - Mandatory, Suggested and Optional chart should be interpreted or relied upon as legal advice. It is strongly recommended that you consult with a qualified attorney if you have any questions about how the information contained in this document applies to your company.

Keep in mind that if you have an active handbook subscription, we will notify you via email of any required updates or changes so that you can feel confident that your company's handbook contains the most up to date laws at all times.

Is there a glossary for common HR terms I can reference?

Yes, a comprehensive HR Glossary is available on HRCalifornia.

If I have a custom policy in English that I want to add to my Spanish handbook, will the tool automatically translate it?

No. The Employee Handbook Creator does not have a built-in translation function. You are responsible for translating any content that you would like to add to your Spanish handbook, including any text you enter into the Wizard.

We do not recommend using a separate software tool for Spanish translations. An employee handbook is a legal document, and any Spanish translations should be certified by a qualified source as legally accurate.

If you would like assistance with your custom content translations, CalChamber members are eligible for a free initial consultation and 15 percent off your translation project into Spanish and/or Simplified Chinese via Localipsum (formerly SpanishOne Plus).

What if I need more than one handbook?

You can create one company handbook for each license purchased. You will need to purchase an additional license for each new handbook you wish to create or to duplicate handbooks.

If you want to rebuild the handbook for the same company, you can delete your handbook at any time during your subscription and start over; however, you will not be able to change the company name.

Will the Employee Handbook Creator save my completed handbook?

No. While the Employee Handbook Creator will store your answers to the Wizard questions and your custom edits, it will not save your completed handbook. You must export your handbook and save it to a secure location on your computer or on your company's network.

You can login to the Employee Handbook Creator at any time during your subscription to update your current handbook and re-export to a secure location.

Can I add my own policies to the handbook?

Yes. Please refer to our Employee Handbook Creator How-To Guide for written directions.

Any modifications or customizations of policies should be carefully reviewed to ensure that the policies comply with applicable laws. It is also strongly recommended that legal counsel review your completed handbook for compliance purposes.

Yes, you can add your company logo as long as it meets our formatting requirements:

  • .gif, .jpg, or .png file format
  • 80 KB or less
  • 500px wide or less
  • 400px high or less

Please refer to our Employee Handbook Creator How-To Guide for written directions.

Can CalChamber review my completed handbook for me?

CalChamber is unable to review your completed handbook. Enterprise members, however, can utilize their two hours of discounted legal services toward handbook review. If you would like to know more about our Enterprise membership, please visit our Store website or give us a call at (800) 331-8877

I forgot my password. How can I retrieve it?

Your Employee Handbook Creator password is the same as your Store password. To reset your password:

  1. Click here.
  2. The system will prompt you to provide your email address.
  3. Once you enter your email address and select Continue, you will receive an email from Customer.Service@CalChamber.com with a special link that will allow you to reset your password.

Who can I contact for assistance or to get more information about the Employee Handbook Creator?

You can contact our Customer and Member Services Department by emailing us at TechSupport@CalChamber.com or calling us at (800) 331-8877.

Account Managers are available to assist:

  • Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT ; and
  • Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT.

* We are closed for lunch daily from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. PT.