Help me draft an employee handbook for my organization from the information below. Create a clear operational draft for review by HR and qualified employment counsel; do not present it as legal advice or invent policy terms. Company profile and locations: [COMPANY PROFILE AND LOCATIONS] Workforce and employment model: [WORKFORCE DETAILS] Existing policies and benefits: [EXISTING POLICIES AND BENEFITS] Required topics and local rules: [REQUIRED TOPICS AND JURISDICTION] Culture and operating practices: [CULTURE AND OPERATING PRACTICES] Open decisions and approval owner: [OPEN DECISIONS AND OWNER]
Produce: 1. A table of contents with recommended handbook sections, ordered from employment relationship and conduct through benefits, leave, safety, technology, and acknowledgments. 2. Draft policy language of 1,500-2,200 words for the sections supported by my inputs. Use plain language, short paragraphs, defined terms only where useful, and consistent terms for employees, managers, and the company. 3. A policy decision register with columns: topic, current company rule, missing detail, legal/HR review needed, and owner. 4. An employee acknowledgment template with blanks for name, date, and signature. Include an at-will statement only if I provide it or it is specifically approved for the applicable jurisdiction. Do not promise that the handbook is a contract, guarantee benefits, set leave entitlements, or state disciplinary steps as mandatory unless my policy requires that. Mark jurisdiction-sensitive areas such as wage and hour, paid leave, accommodations, anti-harassment reporting, privacy, drug testing, and termination for counsel review. Make reporting channels usable by stating who receives a report and an alternative channel if the manager is involved. Before answering, check for contradictions between policies and flag any rule that lacks an owner, jurisdiction, eligibility definition, or effective date. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [COMPANY PROFILE AND LOCATIONS] | Describe the company, industry, size, offices, remote locations, and states or countries where people work. | 42-person software company headquartered in Austin, with remote employees in Texas, Colorado, Illinois, and New York. |
| [WORKFORCE DETAILS] | State employee types, exempt or nonexempt groups, contractors, union status, and work arrangements. | Full-time salaried and hourly employees; a small group of U.S. contractors; no union workforce; hybrid and remote work. |
| [EXISTING POLICIES AND BENEFITS] | Paste approved policies, benefit summaries, leave rules, expense practices, and relevant links or notes. | Medical, dental, 401(k), flexible PTO for salaried staff, accrued sick leave where required, equipment reimbursement up to $800 with approval. |
| [REQUIRED TOPICS AND JURISDICTION] | List required handbook topics and the employment-law jurisdictions that need review. | Include equal employment, anti-harassment, leave, timekeeping, remote work, security, and expenses; counsel will review all state-specific language. |
| [CULTURE AND OPERATING PRACTICES] | Describe approved values, communication norms, security practices, and operational expectations. | Written-first communication, no expectation of after-hours replies, customer data may only be accessed through approved systems. |
| [OPEN DECISIONS AND OWNER] | List policies not yet decided and the person or team authorized to decide each one. | Parental leave duration—People Director; travel-class rules—Finance Director; progressive discipline approach—CEO and counsel. |
How to use
- Collect approved source policies before prompting; do not use informal practices as final rules without an owner’s confirmation.
- Paste jurisdictions and worker classifications because they determine which sections require careful legal review.
- Use the decision register to route unresolved choices to HR, finance, IT, or counsel before publishing.
- Follow up with: “Create a redline-style list of differences between this draft and the attached approved leave policy.”
Variations
Handbook outline
Use this before policy drafting when your company needs to agree on scope and owners.
Create an employee handbook planning outline for [COMPANY PROFILE], [LOCATIONS], [WORKFORCE TYPES], [EXISTING DOCUMENTS], and [APPROVAL OWNERS]. Produce a table with proposed section, purpose, source document, policy owner, jurisdiction sensitivity, and decision status. Include core employment, conduct, pay and timekeeping, leave, benefits, safety, technology, privacy, and acknowledgment topics as applicable. Do not draft legal language or assume a policy exists. Flag gaps that need HR or employment-counsel review. Ask up to 3 questions only if required information is missing.
Policy rewrite
Use this when an existing policy is confusing or inconsistent with the rest of the handbook.
Rewrite [EXISTING POLICY TEXT] for employees at [COMPANY AND JURISDICTIONS], using [APPROVED BUSINESS RULES] and [RELATED HANDBOOK TERMS]. Produce a plain-language policy with purpose, scope, rule, procedure, exceptions, reporting contact, and effective-date placeholder. Preserve approved requirements; do not add legal obligations or promises. Then list ambiguities, conflicts with related policies, and items needing HR or counsel review. Ask up to 3 questions only if a required input is missing.
New hire guide
Use this for an onboarding guide that complements, rather than replaces, the formal handbook.
Create a new-hire guide from [COMPANY BASICS], [FIRST-WEEK TASKS], [TOOLS AND ACCESS], [WORK NORMS], and [KEY CONTACTS]. Produce a welcoming 1,000-word guide with a first-day checklist, first-week checklist, communication norms, security reminders, and where to find official policies. Clearly label the handbook and HR as the source of binding employment policies. Do not invent benefits, access steps, or contacts. Flag missing onboarding owners. Ask up to 3 questions only if required details are missing.
Tips
- Keep the handbook separate from fast-changing items such as benefit plan details, holiday calendars, and reimbursement rates; link to current documents where appropriate.
- Define eligibility and ownership for every policy. A leave rule without employee type, location, approval path, and effective date will create inconsistent decisions.
- Use an alternate reporting route in conduct and harassment policies so an employee is not required to report to the person involved.
- Have employment counsel review jurisdiction-sensitive policies before distribution, especially if employees work across states or countries.
FAQ
Can AI create a complete employee handbook?
AI can create a useful draft and identify gaps, but employment counsel and HR should validate the final version for each jurisdiction and company policy.
Should contractors be included?
Usually only where a rule genuinely applies, such as security or site access. Avoid language that accidentally treats contractors as employees.
How often should a handbook be updated?
Review it at least annually and after material changes to benefits, locations, work arrangements, or applicable employment rules.