The Harvard Personnel Office yesterday began distributing a newly published guide to the university's affirmative action program. The new "Affirmative Action Handbook" presents a concise picture of services and programs available to all Harvard employees, William N. Mullins, manager of employee relations, said yesterday.

Walter J. Leonard, special assistant to President Bok, suggested the idea of the handbook last fall as a more convenient vehicle for information contained in the complete five-volume affirmative action program. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare accepted the program last November.

Leonard said yesterday that the details of the program specifically affect non-teaching staff, but the principles apply to everyone.

"The provisions of affirmative action are basically the institutionalization of fairness. It's a matter of good personnel policy, which is everybody's business," Leonard said.

The 30-page booklet is co-authored by Margaret D. Doty and S. Jane Elben, assistants to Leonard, and Valeria I. Jones, an employee relations representative. The handbook provides information on such issues as transfers, maternity leave, job classification and tuition assistance.

Mullins said copies of the handbook were sent yesterday to all University deans. The Personnel Office will send copies to all Harvard faculty members and employees beginning next Wednesday, he said.

Mullins said every incoming employee will also receive a handbook. He said the Personnel Office staff hope the handbook will make employees less reluctant to discuss problems like transfers and maternity leaves with their supervisors.

"Up until now, many employees have not known who to go to, what their rights are, or what the University's policies are," Mullins said.

Leonard said that all major University libraries will have copies of both the handbook and the five-volume affirmativeaction program available for public review. Copies of the handbook are also available on request at the Personnel Office, he said