-  # Employee Handbook - Word, PDF Tell your staff what they need to know about working at your company with this free employee handbook template.    Join thousands of professionals using this resource. Download for Free Previous slide Next slide -  -  -  -  -  -  ## Template Highlights - Our employee handbook template is available for download as a PDF or Microsoft Word document. - Tailor the cover page with your company logo, contact information, and the year. - Provide an introduction to the document and your company. Explain your mission, what you do, and your core values. - Introduce the leadership team, including headshots to put faces with names and familiarize your new staff with their managers. - Describe the company culture to define the environment in which your employees will work. - Offer a summary of a typical first day at your company. - Finally, describe the benefits (e.g., health insurance, retirement account) and perks (e.g., discounted gym membership, free snacks) you offer.   ## What is an employee handbook? An employee handbook is a workplace document that provides an overview of an organization's processes, policies, and workplace conditions to its employees. As a single source of truth for everything workplace-related, it acts as a reference document for employees and employers to help maintain a desired work environment.  ## Contents of an employee handbook While the exact content of an employee handbook can vary depending on the company, it typically includes: - __Company background__: Share your company’s history, mission, and values to set up the foundation of your company’s culture. - __Products and services__: Give an overview of your products and services, including how they help your customers, to educate the employees on the problems your brand solves. - __Company culture__: Outline the expected behavior of employees surrounding everything from communication to personal appearance. - __Employment policies__: Communicate important employment details, such as work hours, break times, and payment schedules. - __Employee benefits__: Let the employees know about your paid time off (PTO) policy, paid holidays, and medical benefits. ## Benefits of an employee handbook An employee handbook serves as a valuable company tool by providing a centralized source of information on all workplace practices.  In particular, you can expect the following benefits by developing a quality employee handbook: ### Smoother collaboration According to a 2023 Gensler report, employees spend [42% of their workweek](https://www.gensler.com/gri/global-workplace-survey-comparison-2023) working with others in person or virtually. To ensure all that time helps — rather than hurt — your business, you can rely on company culture policies that define the expected behaviors teams should have when working together.  ### Clear expectations By documenting the company’s recommendations on employee behavior, workplace culture, and standard policies, an employee handbook leaves no room for unnecessary disagreements. Instead, all employees know their rights and responsibilities and can work without dealing with the unknown.   ### Employee self-service An employee handbook acts as an FAQ document for employees and helps them clarify their confusion. For instance, if they want information on job benefits and perks, they can find that in the handbook. They can also rely on the employee handbook to get policies surrounding time-off requests (e.g., when they need to give notice or who gets preference in case there’s a leave conflict). Download for Free ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the purpose of an employee handbook? An employee handbook is a reference document that provides information on a company’s background, products and services, workplace culture, employment policies, and employee benefits. ### What is the difference between HR policy and employee handbook? While both documents are essential to an organization's documentation, they serve different functions. HR policies cover procedures specific to human resources. In contrast, the employee handbook outlines organization-wide policies, practices, and protocols. ### Is this template free? Free as it can be! Once you’ve entered your contact information, you can instantly download this template (along with all the other templates in this collection!). 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