Employee Handbook

Organisation: [Company name] Version: [Version number] Effective date: [Date this version takes effect] Last reviewed: [Date of most recent review]

Note: The policies below are a starting point only. Employment law and required policies vary by country, state, and city. Have this handbook reviewed by a qualified HR professional or employment lawyer, and adapt every policy to your own jurisdiction, before issuing it.

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1. Welcome and our values

[A short welcome from the organisation. Introduce who you are, your mission, and the behaviours you value.]

• Who we are: [A sentence or two on what the organisation does and stands for.]
• Our mission: [The outcome the organisation exists to achieve.]
• Our values: [The handful of behaviours you expect from everyone, in plain language.]
• How to use this handbook: [Where to find things and who to ask if something is unclear.]

2. Employment basics

[The practical mechanics of working here. Confirm each item against local employment law.]

• Employment types: [Full-time, part-time, fixed-term, and any other categories you use.]
• Working hours: [Standard hours, any flexibility, and how time is recorded.]
• Pay: [Pay schedule, how pay is calculated, and how expenses are reimbursed.]
• Probation: [Length of any probation period and what it means for both sides.]
• Notice and resignation: [Notice periods and how an employee resigns or is given notice.]

3. Conduct and standards

[What is expected of everyone day to day, and the standards that protect the whole team.]

• Professional conduct: [How people are expected to treat colleagues, customers, and partners.]
• Equal opportunity and anti-harassment: [Your stance against discrimination and harassment, and how it is enforced.]
• Conflicts of interest: [What counts as a conflict and how to declare one.]
• Confidentiality: [How company and customer information must be protected.]
• Discipline: [The steps the organisation follows when standards are not met.]

4. Leave and benefits

[Time off and benefits. These entitlements are heavily governed by local law — verify each one.]

Type of leave	Entitlement	How to request it
Annual leave	[Days per year and how it accrues]	[Process and notice required]
Sick leave	[Entitlement and any pay]	[How and when to notify]
Parental / family leave	[Entitlement per local law]	[Process and notice required]
Public holidays	[Which days the organisation observes]	[N/A]

• Other benefits: [Any health, retirement, learning, or wellbeing benefits you offer.]

5. Health and safety

[The organisation's duty to provide a safe workplace and what everyone must do to keep it safe.]

• Our commitment: [The organisation's responsibility for a safe and healthy workplace.]
• Your responsibilities: [What every employee must do to work safely.]
• Reporting: [How to report an accident, injury, hazard, or near miss.]
• Emergencies: [What to do in a fire, medical, or other emergency.]

6. IT and acceptable use

[How company technology may be used, and the security expectations that protect everyone.]

• Acceptable use: [What company devices, accounts, email, and internet access may be used for.]
• Prohibited use: [What is not allowed on company systems.]
• Data security: [Password, device, and data-handling expectations.]
• Monitoring: [A plain statement of what is monitored and why.]

7. Raising a concern (grievance procedure)

[How an employee raises a concern and what happens next. Make this easy to find and to use.]

• Step 1: [Who to raise an informal concern with first.]
• Step 2: [How to raise a formal grievance if it is not resolved.]
• What to expect: [How the concern will be handled and any timelines.]
• No retaliation: [Your commitment that raising a concern in good faith will not be penalised.]

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Acknowledgement

[A statement for the employee to confirm they have received and read this handbook.]

• Employee name: [Name]
• Signature / date: [Signature and date]

Optional additions

• Remote and hybrid work policy: [If people work away from a shared site, how that is expected to work.]
• Code of conduct detail: [A fuller code if your conduct standards need more than a summary.]
• Glossary: [Plain definitions of any terms a new hire may not know.]