Skip to content
WorkspaceTemplates
The first pages of the Employee Handbook template

Employee Handbook

Document template for Google Docs and Word

Make a copy in Google Docs
Type
Document
Price
Free
Pages
21 · US Letter
Style
Editorial
Difficulty
Intermediate
Updated
October 29, 2026

Every page (21)

Overview

A handbook only works if people can find the answer in under a minute and you can show, if challenged, that they were told. This template is written for a company of 50 to 500 people and follows the questions new starters actually ask: when do I start, how am I paid, how do I book leave, what happens if I am ill, who do I call.

It comes complete with sample content for a fictional packaging company, Fernhill Packaging, so every page shows what good looks like: plain second-person language, the reason beside each rule, a document control page with a version number and review date, and a signed acknowledgement that records which version each person received.

Replace the sample hours, leave, sick pay and notice figures with the terms in your own contracts, check each against the employment law where you work, and delete the sector pages you do not need. The sample policies are guidance, not legal advice.

Useful for

  • A handbook for a company of 50 to 500 staff that has relied on scattered policies
  • A refreshed handbook after a change in sick pay, leave or pension terms
  • A starting point for sector handbooks such as factories, clinics, kitchens or schools
  • The pack you hand every new starter on day one, with a signed record of receipt

What's included

  • Photo cover with the version number, effective date and review date
  • Contents page with a welcome letter from the managing director
  • Six-things-to-know cards for a new starter's first shift
  • Document control page with version history, approvals and a policy-versus-contract note
  • Values and ways of working, including the meetings people will see
  • Hours, shift premiums, pay, expenses and pension clauses
  • Annual leave, a booking process, sick pay scale and family leave
  • Benefits, probation timeline and development
  • Conduct, speaking up, grievance and disciplinary overview
  • Two health and safety pages and a where-to-get-help contacts page
  • Glossary, a signed acknowledgement form and a how-to-edit page

How to use it

  1. 1

    Click Make a copy in Google Docs, then confirm on the Google page. The copy is saved to your own Google Drive.

  2. 2

    Replace Fernhill Packaging, the footer text (double-click any footer) and the welcome letter with your own organisation and your leader's words.

  3. 3

    Overwrite the hours, leave, sick pay, notice and pension figures with the terms in your contracts, and have an employment adviser check them.

  4. 4

    Delete pages that do not apply, such as shift premiums or forklift rules, then fill in the contacts page and the version and review date on page 4.

  5. 5

    Update the contents page numbers, share a copy with comment access for review, and export with File → Download → PDF when it is final.

What you need

Requirements

  • A Google account with access to Google Drive

Works with

  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Word (download the .docx)

Questions

Is this handbook legally valid as it stands?

No. It is a well-structured starting point with sample figures for a fictional UK company. Employment law varies by country and changes over time, so replace every figure with your own terms and have an employment adviser check the final text before you issue it.

Should the handbook be part of the employment contract?

Usually only some of it. The template includes a page that says the contract comes first where the two differ. Keep contractual terms (pay, hours, notice) in the contract and describe the rest as guidance that can change after consultation.

How do I record that people have read it?

Use the acknowledgement page at the end. It records the version each person received, how they received it and a signature. File the signed page, or collect it digitally, and keep it with the version it refers to.

Can I use it for a small business?

Yes. Delete the sections you do not need, such as shift premiums, disciplinary stages and the second safety page, and you are left with a shorter handbook that still covers the essentials.

Who took the photos?

Vitaly Gariev and Copernico on Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License and credited in the document.

  • #employee-handbook
  • #staff-handbook
  • #hr-policies
  • #onboarding
  • #leave-policy
  • #conduct
  • #health-and-safety

Related templates

More Google Docs templatesMore human resources templates

More employee handbook templates

See all 5

Also in Human resources

All human resources templates
Get this template

    What you get

      Use this templateSee full details

      Preparing your template…