Wisconsin Employee Handbook

When your company hires employees in Wisconsin, you are required to comply with federal, state, and local employment laws. There are a variety of human resources and labor policies in the workplace that differ by state. Through your employee handbook, employers can easily document and distribute the correct policies to their employees to comply with the laws of each state.

Creating your Wisconsin Employee Handbook is a useful way to explain important policies and procedures, mitigate legal risk, and introduce employees to the expectations and operating practices of the organization.

Mosey has compiled the relevant policies a company with employees in Wisconsin must consider.

Wisconsin Employee Handbook Policies

There are 9 state and local employee handbook policies in Wisconsin.

Wage and Hour

Wisconsin Minimum Wage Policy

You are entitled to a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, with tipped employees receiving $2.33 per hour plus tips to meet or exceed $7.25. Opportunity employees under 20 may earn $5.90 per hour for their first 90 days, or $2.13 for tipped roles, with Employer covering any shortfall in total earnings.

Leaves of Absence

Wisconsin Military Service Leave Policy

Employer provides up to 30 days of paid leave each calendar year for eligible military service. Employer additionally will provide up to four years of military differential pay and leave benefits for employees called up for eligible military duty from reserve status.

Wisconsin Volunteer Emergency Responder Leave Policy

Employer provides unpaid leave to those employees who are late or miss work due to the employee responding to an emergency, in the scope of their duties as a volunteer emergency responder, that begins before the employee is required to report for work.

Wisconsin Bone Marrow Donation Leave Policy

You are entitled to up to six weeks of bone marrow donation leave if you have worked for Employer for at least 52 weeks and 1,000 hours in the past year. The leave must be used for the procedure and recovery, with written verification from a healthcare provider.

Wisconsin Family Medical Leave Policy

Employer is required to provide leave under the Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Law for employees to use six weeks of leave for the birth or adoption of a child; two weeks of leave to care for a parent, child or spouse with a serious health condition; and two weeks of leave for the employee’s own serious health condition. This applies if the employer has over 50 permanent employees and the employee has worked for at least 1000 hours during the prior 52-week period. Employer additionally provides paid leave in compliance with the FMLA.

Wisconsin Jury Duty Leave Policy

Employer is required to provide employees with unpaid time off to serve on jury duty.

Wisconsin Voting Leave Policy

Employer provides to all of its employees up to 3 successive hours of unpaid leave to vote on each election date. Employees are required to notify Employer of their intent to be absent to vote and Employer may determine the time of day which the employee is excused to vote.

Wisconsin Organ Donation Leave Policy

You are entitled to up to six weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave within a 12-month period for organ donation if you have worked at Employer for over 52 consecutive weeks and at least 1,000 hours in the previous year.

Privacy

Wisconsin Social Media Privacy Policy

Generally, Employer is prohibited from accessing your personal social media accounts and will not discipline or terminate an employee for refusing to disclose their social media login information or for denying to provide access to their social media accounts.

Federal Employee Handbook Policies

Regardless of which states you have employees in, there are required federal policies that must be included in your employee handbook. In addition to any state-specific policies, your employee handbook for Wisconsin should contain the following federal policies.

• Anti-Harassment Policy
• Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy
• Anti-Retaliation Policy
• Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
• Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Handbook Policy Best Practices

In addition to the required federal policies, the following policies are best practices to include in your employee handbook.

• Prohibited Conduct Policy
• Violations Reporting Policy
• Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
• Weapons Policy
• Disciplinary Action Policy
• At-Will Employment
• Federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) Policy