A policy manual is a handbook intended to inform readers about policies and procedures in effect at a given business, office, institution, or agency. A policy manual is designed to provide an overview of the organization’s policies and convey them to internal and/or external audiences in order to inform readers and provide evidence that the organization had made employees aware of policies and procedures in the event of a negative occurrence and subsequent legal action. Policy manuals are similar to employee handbooks, though the category is a bit broader and can include manuals intended for students, clients, and other groups. Many schools, for example, provide incoming students with a policy manual outlining the school’s policies on academic honesty, sexual harassment, and other topics.

Most policy manuals include a number of standard sections, including:

• an introduction from the organization’s leader
• a discussion of the organization’s guiding mission or philosophy
• an overview of the specific policies and procedures unique to that organization

In many cases, it is increasingly common for an organization to include an acknowledgement form which the employee, student, or other recipient must sign in order to acknowledge his or her understanding of the policies and procedures contained therein. Though this is not a legally binding contract, it is useful in demonstrating the employee’s or student’s intention to conform to the policies and procedures in the manual.

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