Employee handbook template
A small business employee handbook: welcome, at-will employment, equal opportunity, hours and pay, time off, conduct, safety and an acknowledgment page.
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A general template, not legal advice
This is a general template, not legal advice. It covers federal basics only. States and cities add their own rules on paid sick leave, final pay, meal breaks, monitoring notices and required policies, and some leave laws apply only above a certain number of employees. Have an employment lawyer or HR professional in your state review it before you hand it out.
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Employee Handbook
Northwind Bakery LLC, Effective January 1, 2027
| Company | Northwind Bakery LLC | Effective date | January 1, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Texas | ||
| Questions | Casey Nguyen, Office Manager, (555) 010-0000, hr@northwindbakery.com | ||
1. Welcome
Welcome to Northwind Bakery LLC. This handbook explains how we work, what you can expect from Northwind Bakery LLC and what Northwind Bakery LLC expects from you. Read it in your first week and keep it for reference. If something is unclear or a situation is not covered here, ask your manager or Casey Nguyen, Office Manager, (555) 010-0000, hr@northwindbakery.com.
2. About this handbook
This handbook takes effect on January 1, 2027 and replaces earlier handbooks and policies on the same subjects. Northwind Bakery LLC may change, add or remove policies at any time and will tell employees in writing when it does. Where a law of your state or city gives you more rights than this handbook, the law applies. Nothing in this handbook limits your right to discuss your wages, hours or working conditions with coworkers or others, or your other rights under the National Labor Relations Act.
3. At-will employment
Employment with Northwind Bakery LLC is at will. You or Northwind Bakery LLC may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice. This handbook is not a contract of employment and does not promise employment for any length of time. Only a written agreement signed by the owner of Northwind Bakery LLC can change at-will status.
4. Equal employment opportunity
Northwind Bakery LLC makes employment decisions based on merit and business needs. We do not discriminate in hiring, pay, promotion, discipline, termination or any other term of employment because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation and transgender status), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law. We provide reasonable accommodations for qualified employees with disabilities, for pregnancy and related conditions, and for sincerely held religious beliefs, unless the accommodation would cause undue hardship. To ask for an accommodation, talk to Casey Nguyen, Office Manager, (555) 010-0000, hr@northwindbakery.com.
5. Anti-harassment and reporting
Harassment based on any protected status is not allowed at work, at company events or in work messages. This includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, slurs, jokes, threats, and offensive pictures or messages. It applies to managers, coworkers, customers and vendors.
If you experience or see harassment or discrimination, report it to your manager or to Casey Nguyen, Office Manager, (555) 010-0000, hr@northwindbakery.com. If the problem involves your manager, go straight to Casey Nguyen, Office Manager, (555) 010-0000, hr@northwindbakery.com or the owner. You do not have to report to the person you are complaining about. Northwind Bakery LLC will look into every report promptly, keep it as confidential as it can, and take corrective action where needed.
Northwind Bakery LLC does not allow retaliation against anyone who reports in good faith or takes part in an investigation. Report retaliation the same way.
6. Hours, timekeeping and pay
Work hours. Bakery shifts run from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. Office staff work 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, with a 30-minute unpaid lunch. Schedules are posted two weeks ahead.
Pay. Employees are paid every other week. Payday is Friday. If payday falls on a holiday, you are paid on the last workday before it. Check each pay stub and report any error to Casey Nguyen, Office Manager, (555) 010-0000, hr@northwindbakery.com right away so it can be corrected on the next paycheck.
Timekeeping. Nonexempt employees record all time worked, accurately, every day. Working off the clock is not allowed, and no manager may ask you to. Do not record time for another employee.
Overtime. Nonexempt employees are paid 1.5 times their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, and more where state law requires it. Get your manager's approval before working overtime. Unapproved overtime is still paid, but repeated unapproved overtime may lead to discipline.
Breaks. Short rest breaks are paid. Meal breaks of 30 minutes or more are unpaid only if you are fully relieved of duty.
7. Time off and holidays
Paid time off. Full-time employees earn 1 hour of paid time off for every 26 hours worked, up to 80 hours a year. Up to 40 unused hours carry over to the next year. Ask your manager for time off at least two weeks ahead, except for illness. Part-time employees earn paid time off at the same rate.
Holidays. Northwind Bakery LLC observes these paid holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.
Other leave. Employees may also have rights to sick leave, family and medical leave, jury duty, voting, military leave and other leave under federal, state or local law. Ask Casey Nguyen, Office Manager, (555) 010-0000, hr@northwindbakery.com if you need time away from work for one of these reasons.
8. Conduct at work
Treat customers, coworkers and vendors with respect, follow safety and job instructions, and protect Northwind Bakery LLC's property and information. Examples of conduct that may lead to discipline, up to termination, include: theft or dishonesty, falsifying records, violence or threats, working under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs, harassment, repeated lateness or absence without notice, and careless damage to property. This list is not complete. Discipline may include a verbal warning, a written warning or termination, and Northwind Bakery LLC may skip steps depending on what happened.
9. Safety
Follow the safety rules for your job and use the protective equipment provided. Report any injury, near miss or unsafe condition to your manager right away, even if it seems minor, so it can be fixed and any workers' compensation claim can be filed on time. You may raise a safety concern without fear of retaliation. Weapons are not allowed on company premises except where state law says otherwise.
10. Technology and privacy
Company computers, phones, email and accounts are for work. Northwind Bakery LLC may monitor, access and review them as allowed by law, so do not expect privacy in anything stored on or sent through company systems. Keep passwords private, lock your screen when you step away, and report lost devices or suspicious messages to Casey Nguyen, Office Manager, (555) 010-0000, hr@northwindbakery.com the same day. Do not post confidential business or customer information online. When you post about work on your own accounts, make clear you speak for yourself and not for Northwind Bakery LLC.
11. Leaving the company
If you decide to resign, please give your manager at least two weeks' written notice. On or before your last day, return all company property, including keys, badges, devices and documents. Your final paycheck is paid on the schedule your state requires. Information on continuing health coverage, if the company offers a health plan, will be mailed to you.
12. Uniforms
The company provides three shirts and two aprons a year. Wear closed-toe, non-slip shoes on the bakery floor.
13. Employee discount
Employees get 30% off bakery items for personal use.
14. Questions
If you have a question about this handbook or a situation it does not cover, contact Casey Nguyen, Office Manager, (555) 010-0000, hr@northwindbakery.com.
Employee acknowledgment
I have received the Northwind Bakery LLC Employee Handbook effective January 1, 2027. I understand that it is my responsibility to read it and follow the policies in it, and to ask Casey Nguyen, Office Manager, (555) 010-0000, hr@northwindbakery.com about anything I do not understand. I understand that Northwind Bakery LLC may change its policies at any time. I understand that my employment is at will, that either I or Northwind Bakery LLC may end it at any time with or without cause or notice, and that this handbook is not a contract of employment.
Employee signature: ______________________
Printed name: ______________________
Date: ____________
Received by (company): ______________________
How to use it
Fill in the company, state, effective date and the person who handles HR questions. Describe your work hours and paid time off in your own words and list your paid holidays one per line. The handbook builds numbered sections for welcome, at-will employment, equal opportunity, anti-harassment with reporting, hours and pay, time off, conduct, safety, technology and leaving the company. Add your own sections, such as uniforms or an employee discount, as Title: text lines.
Give each employee a copy and have them sign the last page. Keep the signed page in their personnel file.
Things to watch
The text covers federal rules. Your state may require more, for example paid sick leave, a specific meal break, a notice before monitoring email or a certain final pay deadline. If a sentence here conflicts with your state's law, the law wins, so have it reviewed locally.
Do not promise things you will not do. A handbook that says "we will always give two warnings" can be used against you if you skip them, which is why the conduct section keeps discipline steps flexible.
Calculators that go with this
Frequently asked questions
Does a small business need an employee handbook?
Federal law does not require one, but it is the usual place to give employees the at-will statement, equal opportunity and anti-harassment policies and the way to report a complaint. A clear complaint process also matters if an employee later claims harassment, because courts look at whether the employer had one and whether the employee used it.
Why does the acknowledgment page say the handbook is not a contract?
So the policies can change without renegotiating with every employee, and so the handbook does not override at-will employment. The same sentence is in the at-will section near the front.
Can I say employees cannot discuss their pay?
No. The National Labor Relations Act protects most private sector employees who talk with each other about wages and working conditions, whether or not there is a union. The handbook includes a sentence saying nothing in it limits that right.
Is what I type saved anywhere?
No. Everything stays in your browser and nothing is sent to our server. If you refresh the page it is gone, so print, save a PDF or download the DOCX when you are done.