Offered new job but not being provided with company handbook before signing contract

Undervalued

Marcon said:

robster1978 said:

Hi,

I have been offered a new (permanent) job.  The contract mentions the company handbook in several places and also contains the statement: "Except where the handbook or your contract indicates otherwise, the contents of the handbook are not intended to be contractual."  So from this statement it is reasonable to assume that there are contractural elements in the handbook. 

I have asked for a copy of the handbook before I sign the contract and have been met with the response that I get a copy of the handbook on the first day of joining.

I don't like this, I could be agreeing to contractural elements which I have no sight of; I really want to see the handbook - I think this is perfectly reasonable.

What are others opinions of this?

Thanks

Forget the opinions of others - you have said you really want to see the handbook, so you need to press for a copy - but make sure you have decided whether or not you will go ahead with accepting if the answer is still 'no'. Nothing looks weaker than saying you insist on something, then tamely backing down. Not a great start to any new role, especially one you describe as senior/high profile.

I think this is the key point (which I omitted to make in my earlier post)!

Generally these days firms try to reduce the number of contractual "entitlements" and make as many things as possible "discretionary". Company sick pay is a good example! OK, to be seen as a good employer they generally provide or sometimes exceed the discretionary "entitlement" but they like to keep the flexibility of not doing so if they feel justified in a particular circumstance.

So, I would expect that the vast majority of what is set out in the staff handbook to be discretionary rather than contractual. In which case getting a real world feel for how the company operates is almost more useful than reading the book!