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GullyHR

Free template

Employee handbook outline

A chapter list to build your handbook from. Each chapter has a one-line purpose, and a column marks where legal review is needed. Drop chapters that do not apply and add sector chapters where they do.

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An HR consultant and business owner reviewing employee records together

Chapter list

No.ChapterPurposeAdviser review needed?
1Welcome and about the companySets the tone, explains what the company does and who it serves.No
2Employment basicsExplains employee categories, probation, confirmation and records.Yes: check against contracts and rules
3Working hours and attendanceSets hours, shifts, weekly offs and how attendance is marked.Yes: hours and overtime rules vary by state and sector
4Leave and holidaysLists leave types, how to apply and holiday handling.Yes: statutory leave minimums
5Pay, benefits and deductionsExplains pay dates, components, statutory deductions and benefits.Yes: PF, ESI, gratuity, professional tax and other regimes
6Performance and growthDescribes reviews, feedback, training and promotion.No, unless it ties to pay rules
7Code of conductStates the standards of behaviour expected of everyone.Yes: legal points and consequences
8Prevention of sexual harassmentExplains the policy, the complaint route and the committee.Yes: legal requirement; use an adviser
9Discipline and grievanceSets out how concerns and misconduct are handled fairly.Yes: process and natural justice
10Health, safety and wellbeingSets safety rules, incident reporting and wellbeing support.Yes, for factories and hazardous work
11Information, IT and confidentialityCovers device use, data, email, social media and confidentiality.Yes: data and monitoring terms
12Travel, expenses and company propertyExplains claims, approval and care of company assets.Partly: tax treatment of reimbursements
13Notice, resignation and exitExplains notice, handover, final settlement and letters.Yes: notice and settlement terms
14Changes to the handbookStates who can change it, how staff are told and how versions are kept.No
15Acknowledgement and contactsCaptures staff sign-off and lists who to contact for what.No
16State-specific and sector appendicesHolds local rules, such as shops and establishments requirements.Yes: all content

Front matter

  • Cover page: [Company name], [Version number], [Effective date].
  • Message from the [Owner / Managing Director]: [Two or three lines].
  • How to use this handbook: [Where the soft copy is kept and who to ask].
  • Document control: owner [HR head], reviewed every [12] months.

How to build each chapter

  • Start with the purpose in one sentence.
  • State who it applies to.
  • Write the rule in short sentences, one idea each.
  • Add the process: who does what, by when.
  • Add the exception route and the person to contact.
  • End with the owner and review date.

Review plan

StepOwnerDate
Draft chapters[HR][Date]
Management review[Owner][Date]
Adviser check on marked chapters[Adviser][Date]
Issue and acknowledgement[HR][Date]

Note before issuing

The chapters marked for review touch law or existing contracts. Confirm their wording with a qualified adviser before you issue the handbook.

A starting point, not legal advice. Check the final wording against your contracts and the rules of your state, and have a qualified professional review it before you issue it.

Employee handbook service →HR policies and governance →Policy development →

How to use this template

  1. List the policies you already have and map them to the chapters above.
  2. Mark chapters you do not have as gaps and decide the order to write them.
  3. Write the chapters marked for review last, and send them together to your adviser.
  4. Keep the tone plain. Test a chapter by asking a supervisor whether they can act on it without asking HR.
  5. Issue the handbook with a signed acknowledgement and a short briefing for each team.
  6. Version it, and review it every year or when the law or your practice changes.

A filled example (illustrative)

This example is invented for illustration. Replace every value with your own.

ChapterStatusOwner
Working hours and attendanceExists, needs updateHR head
Leave and holidaysExistsHR head
Code of conductDraftOwner
Prevention of sexual harassmentMissing, adviser to draftOwner and adviser
Notice, resignation and exitDraftHR head

Common mistakes

  • Copying a large company's handbook that does not fit your size, sector or state.
  • Writing rules that contradict appointment letters.
  • Burying the complaint route in the middle of a long chapter.
  • Issuing without acknowledgements, so you cannot show staff were told.
  • Never revising it after a rule changes.

Adapt it to your business

  • Factory or plant: add safety, shift, overtime and contract worker chapters.
  • Shop or retail: add cash handling, customer behaviour and roster rules.
  • Clinic or hospital: add patient privacy, infection control and on-call rules.
  • Office or services firm: add remote work, client confidentiality and device use.

Questions about this template

Employment basics, hours, leave, pay and benefits, conduct, harassment prevention, discipline and grievance, safety, IT and confidentiality, and exit. Add sector and state sections where they apply.

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