Tutorials

How to Write a Salon Employee Reference Guide

A salon policy and procedure employee manual, sometimes called an employee reference guide, is an important document that every salon should have. It is a roadmap or reference guide for salon operations. It should clearly explain to all staff how the salon works. From the moment a salon professional is first hired, they should have the information to learn and understand the salon vision. A manual is required for better communication and increased social capital within the salon and organization. It can ultimately secure a happier and more stable work environment.

Below you will find a guide to help you write your own manual.

Contents of a Good Manual

A positive welcome is a good start to your manual. It is a simple message that welcomes the salon professional to the team. It also contains a general outline of the goals, policies, benefits and expectations of the salon, as well as the responsibilities of the employer and the employee.

A mission statement can be included here to show the commitment to excellence. (How to Write Your Own Mission Statement or Personal Mission Statement is an exercise that the whole salon can participate in. Click Here to find out more.)

The following sections can help define your salon and it's vision. You should write a small paragraph about each of these to make a complete manual.

Goals, Values and Beliefs

What are your salon goals?  Example: We want to be known as the best salon in our area.

Define your salon values. Example: We value customer relationships built on trust. 

Beliefs? Example: We believe that hard work and education build success for everyone.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Personnel Records

Attendance

Use of Company Property

Confidentiality

Dress Code

Safety

Salon Equipment

Emergency Phone Numbers and Contact Info

Anti-Substance Abuse

Sexual Harassment

Smoking

Job Objectives, Performance Reviews, Salary Reviews

Payroll

Work Hours

Holidays

Vacations

Family Medical Leave Act

Maternity Leave

Funeral Leave

Jury Duty

Military Service

Worker's Compensation

Tuition Assistance

Employee Assistance Program

Other Benefits

There may be other benefits or plans, which your salon offers your employees. Your decision on how detailed to get on each topic will depend upon the weight each carries. Just try to be as clear as possible, making certain to refer the employees to more appropriate, detailed documents where necessary. It is probably better to err on the side of covering many topics briefly, while making certain that compensation and benefits are covered in detail, than to leave something out. Your employees want to - and should - know these things. Many times, they would prefer to review it for themselves rather than asking or before inquiring further.

You should end with a document stating that the salon professional has read and understands the manual. This is a separate document from the Employee Manual. It should be printed and both the salon professional and the salon should keep a copy for their respective files.

Now you have a guide from which to create your own manual. Good luck.

If this is not something you have the time or energy to accomplish, we offer a complete kit to customize a manual just for you. Click Here and see the difference.

Thanks for checking out our tutorial. We appreciate your interest and will always be available for more information.

The Staff at Salon IQ