Employee Handbook (US, Small Business) Template
Complete 14-section handbook template for US small employers. US employee handbook template — 14 sections, multi-state guidance, at-will and EEO compliant. $49.
Single buyer, lifetime license — covers your business, free quarterly refreshes when laws change.
Not legal advice — review with counsel before signing.
Document details
A complete employee handbook for US small employers (5-50 employees). Fourteen sections covering employment terms, compensation, time off, code of conduct, IT acceptable use, workplace safety, and discipline.
Drafted to work as a baseline across all 49 at-will states, with explicit per-state-supersedes language and editorial notes on which states require specific additional policies (CA harassment training, NY pay transparency, IL biometric notice, etc.).
What's in the template
14 sections, ordered from setup → assessment → support → close.
- 1Welcome and company overview
- 2At-will employment statement
- 3Equal Employment Opportunity policy
- 4Anti-harassment policy with reporting channels
- 5Compensation and pay practices
- 6Benefits overview
- 7Time off (PTO, sick, parental, bereavement, military)
- 8Code of conduct
- 9Confidentiality and IP
- 10Use of company systems
- 11Remote and hybrid work
- 12Workplace safety
- 13Discipline and termination
- 14Acknowledgment form
Who this is for
- →HR practitioners and people teams handling policies in US
- →Small-business owners running HR without a dedicated team
- →Managers preparing for a high-stakes employment conversation
- →Fractional HR consultants and PEO firms
- →In-house counsel partnering with HR on documentation
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word (.docx) — open in Word, Pages, or Google Docs
- ✓PDF copy for archival + sharing
- ✓Google Doc-compatible export
- ✓Editorial guidance notes explaining each section
- ✓Single-buyer, lifetime commercial-use license
- ✓Free quarterly refreshes when law or best practice changes
- ✓Instant download — link emailed within seconds of payment
- ✓7-day refund window if the template isn't what you needed
Legal frameworks aligned
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 1964 — anti-discrimination
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) — reasonable accommodation
- Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) — protected leave
- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) — wage & hour
- State-specific final-pay rules (CA, CO, MA, MT — same-day)
Reference list — this template is designed to be defensible under these frameworks when used as intended. Not a substitute for counsel on a specific matter.
Frequently asked questions
Legally required?
No federal requirement. A handful of states require specific written policies but no state requires a handbook. Most employers have one anyway — strongest defense against many employment claims.
Update cadence?
Annually at minimum. State and federal law changes constantly — between October and February each year, ~30 states pass HR-relevant legislation.
One handbook or per-state?
Hybrid most common: one core handbook plus state-specific addenda where you have more than ~5 employees in a state.
Employee Handbook (US, Small Business) Template — $49
Editable .docx + .pdf + Google Doc. Instant download. Single-buyer lifetime license. Free quarterly refreshes.