An employee handbook is a critical document for setting clear expectations for new employees, providing policies for all employees to follow, and making it easier for you know how to deal with bug with your employees when they arise.

Amidst other things, your employee handbook should cover everything from wearing apparel lawmaking and holiday days to your lawmaking of comport and nondiscrimination policies.

Additionally, it should set up the tone for what it's like to work at your company -- your employee handbook isn't just a list of "what not to do". It'south also a chance to express your company mission statement, and workplace civilisation.

For instance, possibly you want to let for casual dress Fri's, to provide your employees the opportunity to feel more than comfortable before the weekend. This is an heady employee benefit, and one you should clearly outline.

Hither, we'll cover the nine elements you must include in your employee handbook in an employee handbook template, and provide a sample employee handbook for further inspiration.

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Employee Handbook Template

To know what to include in your employee handbook, take a wait at our template.

Employee Handbook for [Company Name]

Introduction to company & values.

Hither, you'll want to depict your visitor'south history, including when you lot were founded, by whom, and why. Additionally, yous'll want to briefly include your company mission statement, and add some insight into your company civilisation. What do you prioritize in the workplace? Autonomy, continuous didactics? Include that here. Essentially, requite your new employee the elevator speech of why your company matters, and why they should be excited to be apart of it.

Lawmaking of conduct

In this section, y'all demand to requite your employees a general overview of information regarding ethics and compliance. Ultimately, a lawmaking of acquit allows y'all to emphasize your company's values, and the desired behavior y'all wish to foster in your leaders and employees. These rules tin can allow you to fairly regulate and assess an private's behavior.

Yous'll desire to include as many specific details as possible -- for instance, let employees know your definition of excessive tardiness, and how tardiness volition be disciplined. Alternatively, you might include specific dress code requirements in this section.

Additionally, your code of carry section volition be a reference point for employees when they're dealing with difficult ethical dilemmas in their day-to-day. It's a department that tells them what your company values and considers correct from wrong, along with resource for employees when they encounter ethical predicaments.

Equal employment and nondiscrimination policy

The U.S. Department of Labor requires many businesses to include an equal employment and nondiscrimination policy in their employee handbook. Plus, you want each employee to know that discrimination or harassment of any kind won't exist tolerated in your workplace. Even just one instance of bigotry tin create toxicity for an entire visitor's civilization.

Computers and applied science policy

You'll need to make clear what your employees can and can't do with the engineering you provide them. Amidst other things, let employees know whether you take the right to come across emails they ship on visitor computers, whether you expect them to avoid social media while on their work computer, and how much privacy they should expect while using company belongings.

Additionally, y'all'll want to inform your employees whether certain actions on visitor applied science are fireable offenses.

Compensation and benefits policy

Only put, your employees want to know about their benefits regarding health intendance, dental, vision, life insurance, stocks, etc. In this section you lot tin also let them know about benefits such as tuition reimbursement, commuter benefits, parking, employee referral bonuses, and 401(thousand) plans.

Yous'll besides want to include disquisitional data regarding bacon, payroll deductions, and bounty increases for specific job descriptions to convey how each employee tin advance their income. Additionally, y'all'll desire to certificate the payment schedule for each employee (weekly or bi-monthly).

New rent and separation policy

Let your new employees know whether they need to wait to receive their benefits (and how long), what steps need to be taken if an employee wants to quit, and information regarding your progressive discipline policy. By outlining the steps you take for subject area, yous're ensuring a level of fairness and establishing prohibited behavior.

Yous'll also want to outline what an employee is entitled to if they are terminated, and for how long they tin expect certain benefits.

Leave policy

It's critical you outline how much paid and unpaid vacation time each employee gets, also every bit how much time they get for medical leave and paid family go out, as well as sick time. Some of these policies, such as family medical leave, are enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor, and so yous'll oftentimes demand to comply by the same standards as other businesses in your state.

Not-disclosure Agreement and Confidentiality policy

To ensure your employees don't misuse confidential data either regarding your internal operations or your clients, it's critical you outline what you establish as confidential data. Your business is bound by law to protect certain information, and you'll want to make a list and ensure your employees are aware of what data they can and can't share. Amidst other things, this likely includes your company's internal business program, your client's information, and employees' fiscal account information.

Signature page

A signature page is of import for two reasons -- first, it confirms the employee received the handbook, and incentivizes each employee to read it through earlier signing. Second, if you're ever dealing with a wrongful termination lawsuit, information technology could help with your defence force.

Sample Employee Handbook

While your employee handbook will be undoubtedly unique and particular to your culture and visitor values, we've created a sample employee handbook to aid get you started.

However, many of these sections are besides personal and legally sensitive to include in a sample. For example, when writing a non-disclosure understanding, y'all'll demand to review country and federal laws and will demand the guidance of a lawyer.

Employee Handbook for Good for you Tea & Co.

Introduction to company & values.

Welcome to Good for you Tea & Co.!

Started in 2022, Good for you Tea & Co. aims to create healthy, organic tea and drink products and market them to people who desire to alive healthier lives. Founded by Hannah Jones and Marker Pluto, we pride ourselves on being a workplace that focuses on employee happiness and autonomy, multifariousness and inclusion, and helps our customers discover products on the shelves that are both delicious and nutritious.

What is of import to know when joining our team at Salubrious Tea & Co.?

We value independence and autonomy, and for that reason, we allow our employees to work either in-office or remotely.

We like to take fun, which is why nosotros accept casual-apparel Friday'south, ping pong tables, and monthly squad outings.

We encourage continuous learning and want our employees to seek out growth opportunities, and then we offering employee-taught trainings on a multifariousness of topics, tuition reimbursement, and a free book program.

Ultimately, as an employee atHealthy Tea & Co., we expect yous to remain honest and trustworthy with your team, willing to call back outside the box, and excited to experiment and enquire questions about our products and our systems, considering we as a company value growth and innovation.

[Lawmaking of acquit would go hither]

Compensation and benefits policy

The amount of bounty y'all will receive is provided in your offering letter.

In addition, Salubrious Tea & Co. must deduct specific amounts from your paycheck. These mandatory deductions (required by federal police force) include:

● Social security (pre-tax)

● Medicare (pre-tax)

● Federal withholding taxes (pre-tax)

● State withholding taxes (pre-tax)

Health & Wellness Benefits include:

[Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance would go hither, likewise as Life Insurance, Dependent care, Healthcare Spending Account, Accident Insurance, etc.]

Leave policy

At Healthy Tea & Co., our holiday policy for PTO entails the following:

0-2 years tenure = xv days

2-5 years tenure = 20 days

6+ years tenure = 30 days

Additionally, in compliance with land laws, we offering 5 ill days, which tin be used for personal illness or to take intendance of a ill family member.

In the U.S., we observe the following holidays:

  • New year
  • Martin Luther Male monarch Jr. Solar day
  • Presidents Day
  • Patriots Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Christmas Day

[Financial benefits, such as 401(k) or employee referral bonus, would go here]

[Equal employment and nondiscrimination policy would go here]

[Computers and engineering science policy]

[Anti-discrimination policy would get here]

I have read all of the provisions of this agreement and I understand, and agree to, each of such provisions, effective as of the date commencement entered in a higher place.

________________ (sign here)

________________ (date)

Code of Conduct Samples

To ensure you have all the inspiration you need to create your own lawmaking of carry section in your employee handbook, accept a look at some of these inspiring company code of conducts':

  • Google'south Code of Conduct
  • Coca-Cola'southward Code of Conduct
  • Starbucks' Code of Conduct
  • Facebook'southward Code of Deport
  • Toyota's Code of Conduct

employee handbook template

employee handbook template

Originally published Dec 27, 2022 8:00:00 AM, updated August 18 2022