UHV News

UHV News

UHV SBDC to offer business handbook workshop

With everything that goes into creating and establishing a business, one of the most important items – an employee handbook – can sometimes be overlooked. That’s why the University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center will host a workshop to help new and upcoming businesses create their own.

The Employee Handbook Clinic will be a one-day workshop, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 13 at the UHV SBDC office, located at UHV Northwest, 1604 E. Airline Road. The event will be led by Deirdre Pattillo, a senior project manager for employer services for the Texas Southwest SBDC Network’s Center for Government Contracting at the University of Texas – San Antonio Institute for Economic Development. There is a $75 fee for the event, and participants must register.

Lindsay Young
Lindsay Young

“Employee handbooks can be a guide for both the employer and the employee,” UHV SBDC Director Lindsay Young said. “It is an important item to have in place to have a good work environment. Without it, it is like playing a board game without the rules.”

There are 10 open spots for attendees, and a light breakfast and lunch will be provided. Small business owners and managers, human resources managers and anyone who is responsible for carrying out policies and procedures in the workplace, including those in nonprofits, are invited to attend.

Employee handbooks are crucial to business in several ways, said Jean Smith, a UHV SBDC training coordinator. The handbook explains the company policies and benefits, procedures, as well as helping employees understand work expectations. Employee handbooks also help protect the business as well, as they help the business to run more efficiently and can prevent conflicts.

Pattillo has served the SBDC community since 1998, spending the majority of this time specifically focused on human resources training and advising. Pattillo is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources and holds a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional certificate. She provides direct assistance to small business employers in the areas of employment practices, emergency preparedness, regulatory compliance, jobsite safety, drug-free workplace and effective HR management.

Jean Smith
Jean Smith

For the workshop, attendees will be able to create and revise their policies under the direction and assistance of Pattillo, using an electronic template provided to them. Attendees will need to bring their own electronic device, such as a laptop or tablet, to work on their employee handbooks. In addition to receiving assistance from a longtime HR professional, the event also is a good opportunity to network, Smith said.

“This is a great opportunity to be provided instant feedback from a HR professional, as many small business owners usually do not have that opportunity when creating their own handbook,” Smith said. “A workshop like this one is a great investment for business owners and managers. When attendees leave, they should have an outline of an employee handbook.”

To register for the event, go to www.uhvsbdc.com. For more information, contact Smith at 361-485-4485 or smithje@uhv.edu.

The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.