Employee handbook drafted for your small business
Your team has grown past the point where everyone just asks the founder. This prompt has your todo.is agent draft a complete employee handbook from your answers and existing documents, in a friendly voice, with every legal-sensitive section clearly flagged for review.
The prompt
- Draft an employee handbook for [COMPANY NAME], a [TYPE OF BUSINESS AND TEAM SIZE] based in [COUNTRY AND STATE]. Our culture in a few words: [VALUES AND TONE]. Our current rules: [HOURS, LEAVE, REMOTE WORK, PAY DAYS AND OTHER POLICIES]. Include: welcome letter, about us and values, employment basics, working hours and breaks, time off and holidays, pay and expenses, remote work, code of conduct, anti-harassment and how to report it, equipment and IT security, health and safety, leaving the company, and an acknowledgment page to sign. Write it in plain, warm language, around 15 to 20 pages. Look up which policies are commonly required where we are and list them with source links, but flag every legal section with REVIEW so my lawyer can check it. Deliver it as a Word file (.docx) with a table of contents.
What to change
- [COMPANY NAME]: e.g. "Harbor Lane Coffee Co."
- [TYPE OF BUSINESS AND TEAM SIZE]: e.g. "chain of 3 coffee shops with 28 staff, mostly part-time".
- [COUNTRY AND STATE]: Where your employees work, e.g. "Oregon, USA". Rules differ a lot by place.
- [VALUES AND TONE]: e.g. "friendly, hands-on, we promote from within".
- [HOURS, LEAVE, REMOTE WORK, PAY DAYS AND OTHER POLICIES]: Bullet notes are fine, or attach your current policy documents and old handbook.
Example result
- Welcome to Harbor Lane
- We started with one espresso machine and a lot of stubborn optimism. Today 28 of us serve about 1,500 cups a day. This handbook explains how we work together. If something here is unclear, ask your shift lead or write to people@harborlane.example.
- Our values
- • Warm first: every guest and teammate gets a real hello
- • Own the shift: if you see it, fix it or flag it
- • Grow here: 4 of our 5 store managers started as baristas
- Employment basics
- • Employment types: full-time (32+ hours), part-time, seasonal
- • First 90 days are an introductory period with a check-in at day 30 and day 90
- • REVIEW: at-will employment statement and equal opportunity statement
- Hours and breaks
- • Schedules are posted every Thursday for the next two weeks
- • Swap shifts in the scheduling app; your lead approves
- • REVIEW: meal and rest break rules for Oregon
- Time off
- • Paid sick time: accrues from day one (REVIEW: state accrual rate)
- • Vacation: full-time staff get 10 days per year, rising to 15 after 3 years
- • Request vacation at least 2 weeks ahead
- Pay and expenses
- • Paid every other Friday by direct deposit
- • Tips are shared by hours worked each week
- • Mileage between stores is reimbursed; submit receipts by the 5th
- Code of conduct
- • Respect for guests and teammates, no exceptions
- • No phone use behind the bar except on breaks
- • Free drinks on shift, 50% off food
- Anti-harassment and reporting
- We do not tolerate harassment or discrimination. You can report to your manager, any other manager, or directly to the owner. Reports are handled quickly and privately, and nobody is punished for reporting in good faith. REVIEW: wording and required training.
- Leaving Harbor Lane
- Please give two weeks' notice. Return keys and uniforms on your last day. Final pay follows state rules (REVIEW).
- Acknowledgment
- I have received and read the Harbor Lane Employee Handbook.
- Name: ________ Signature: ________ Date: ________
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in your company, location and current rules.
- Paste it into todo.is, and attach your old handbook, offer letter template or policy notes if you have them.
- Your agent writes the full draft as a Word file, with links for the policies it looked up.
- Send the REVIEW sections to your lawyer or HR adviser, then ask your agent to apply their changes.
Tips for a better result
- Say exactly where your staff work. Leave, overtime and final pay rules depend on the country and state.
- Keep culture and rules separate: values up front, policies after, so people actually read the first part.
- Avoid promising things you cannot keep, like guaranteed raises. A handbook can be treated as a commitment.
- Add a version date on the cover and update it once a year or when the law changes.
- Ask your agent for a 2-page summary for new hires on their first day.
employee handbook: FAQ
- What should an employee handbook include? Usually a welcome and values, employment basics, hours, pay, time off, conduct, anti-harassment and reporting, safety, IT and equipment, leaving the company and a signed acknowledgment. Some sections are legally required in certain places.
- Is an employee handbook legally required? In many places a handbook itself is not required, but some written policies are. Your agent can look up common requirements, but this is a draft and not legal advice: have a lawyer review it for your country or state.
- How long should an employee handbook be? For a small business, 10 to 25 pages is typical. Clear and complete matters more than length.
- How often should I update the handbook? Review it at least once a year and whenever laws or your policies change. Ask employees to sign a new acknowledgment after big updates.
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