NO CRY BUYING

Employers can and should provide employees with clear written instructions on how to respond to customer requests for discounted, free or replacement goods or services and how to field vendor solicitation for the employer’s purchase of a service, equipment, or product.

Policy Drafting Tips:

• Explain the types of discounts or similar requests that an employee might receive from a company customer and the job title of the employee authorized to grant such requests;
• Describe industry or vendor solicitations and the job title of the employee authorized to commit the company to such obligations or liabilities; and
• Warn that anyone who incurs an unauthorized obligation or liability on the company’s behalf will be held personally responsible for doing so.

Take-Away:

Implement and regularly review a comprehensive, clearly written handbook to include customer requests for discounts and vendor solicitation policies.

We publish this series to educate employers on best practices for a well-written handbook that assists applicants, employees, and management alike. To purchase our template handbook – which contains the above policy and much more – and accompanying forms or for more information, please contact Office Manager Aimee Rosales at 626.583.6600 or email her at officemgr@tbowleslaw.com.

See also:

• Laying Down the Law- Workplace Policy Handbook & Forms for 2023 (November 18, 2022)
• Handbook Helper Episode 5 Golden Rules – Workplace Conduct Policy (July 8, 2022)
• If It Isn’t Written, Workplace Policy is Anyone’s Guess (November 1, 2018)

Cindy Bamforth
December 16, 2022