NEWS: The League is pleased to announce that it is once again offering a Model Credit Union Employee Handbook (WCUL #83010) for Wisconsin credit unions with fewer than 50 employees. We offered a version of this handbook several years ago, and it has now been extensively updated by the Husch Blackwell law firm, which will annually review it to help keep the material current.
The handbook is available for purchase via The League’s online “credit union forms” page. The initial purchase price is $300, with a $100 annual subscription fee thereafter.
A sample of the handbook is available to give you an idea of its contents.
Customizable
The handbook is designed so that credit unions can complete and customize key provisions on their own. In many sections, you’ll see optional language to choose from, blanks that must be completed, and/or information that you are asked to add. The handbook is provided in Microsoft Word so that credit unions can easily edit the text as needed.
Section-by-section instructions are provided with the handbook.
To help each credit union navigate, edit, and customize its handbook, some of the language is color-coded. For example, optional language appears in orange, examples are provided in purple, and so on. The instructions explain the color-coding system.
Our instructions stress that the material in the handbook should not contradict employment-related policies that your credit union’s board of directors has adopted. It’s important that the policies described in the handbook match any board-approved policies, since discrepancies increase the risk of employment-related legal actions. If there is a discrepancy, consider whether to amend the policies and/or the handbook material so that they match, preferably with the advice of an employment attorney.
The League does not review your completed handbook or customize it for you. Of course, we are happy to take specific questions from credit unions as they work through the handbook. In some situations, however, we may advise you to consult the credit union’s own attorney for guidance.
For use by Wisconsin credit unions with fewer than 50 employees
The handbook is to be used only by Wisconsin credit unions with fewer than 50 employees. (Count all employees on the credit union’s payroll, including full-time employees, part-time employees, suspended employees, and employees on leave.) Larger credit unions may be subject to certain legal requirements that this handbook does not address.
Credit unions with 50 or more employees may, however, consider whether to use the handbook as a starting point for drafting their own employee handbook – with the guidance of their own employment law attorney to ensure that they address all relevant legal requirements.
The handbook is not designed for use by credit unions with unionized employees.
This handbook is not designed to address other states’ laws. If the credit union has employees in states other than Wisconsin, it should consult counsel licensed in those other states about adapting the language in this handbook to suit its needs.
Questions?
Please reach out to Paul Guttormsson at The League with questions about the updated employee handbook. We hope that you find it to be a useful resource for the credit union and its staff.