👥 HR Template

Employee Handbook Template

Company policies, procedures, code of conduct. Covers leave, WHS, grievances.

What an employee handbook should cover

• Who the handbook applies to, and that it is policy rather than a contract
• Hours, rosters, breaks and how time is recorded
• Leave: annual, personal, carer’s, compassionate, parental, long service, and how to apply
• Pay cycle, superannuation, and how to query a payslip
• Work health and safety: hazards, incident reporting, first aid
• Code of conduct, and policies on bullying, harassment and discrimination
• Grievance and disciplinary procedures, in steps
• Technology, social media and confidentiality expectations
• How the handbook is updated, and where the current version lives

Say clearly that the handbook is not part of the contract

Handbooks have been found to form part of employment contracts where the wording made them sound like promises, which means a policy you later change becomes a term you have breached. A short statement at the front — that these are policies, that they may be varied, and that the contract and any applicable award or agreement prevail — is standard and worth including.

• State that the National Employment Standards and any applicable award or enterprise agreement override the handbook
• Date every version and record what changed, so you can show what was in force when
• Have employees acknowledge receipt, and keep the acknowledgement

Keeping it current

• Review after any change to your award, to the NES, or to WHS obligations
• Give the Fair Work Information Statement to every new employee — it is a separate legal requirement, not part of the handbook
• Write it in the language your staff actually speak, and keep it short enough to be read

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General information only — not legal, tax or financial advice. For contracts and tax documents, confirm your obligations with a qualified professional or the relevant authority.