Employee Handbook | Template, Tips & AI Tools

When you’re running a business or leading a team, a well-crafted employee handbook is essential for a successful workplace. An employee handbook is your staff’s go-to resource about your company’s mission, products/services, attendance policies, benefits, standard operating procedures, and more.

Crafting a clear, comprehensive, and legally-sound employee handbook takes time and expertise. In addition to figuring out what to include, you need to use a reader-friendly structure and a writing voice that’s consistent with your company’s brand.

The tips and tools below will help you build an effective employee handbook that meets your business needs. QuillBot’s free employee handbook generator can jumpstart the process.

Employee handbook template

An employee handbook is a detailed and highly-structured document with all of the information that employees need in order to work at your company. The information is divided into chapters or sections.

The following employee handbook template illustrates a common format, which you can adapt as needed before filling in the details. When adapting the format and content, be sure to follow any government or industry-specific legal requirements.

How to create an employee handbook

Here are a few tried and true techniques for writing an employee handbook that’s user-friendly and well-aligned with your business goals and your staff’s needs.

1. Outline an employee handbook template

Start by creating a high-level outline of the section and subheading titles the employee handbook will include. Outlining first helps you organize your thoughts and ensures you don’t miss any essential information. To outline your ideas, make adjustments to an employee handbook template like the one above, or ask QuillBot’s AI Chat to help you brainstorm.

2. Use a reader-friendly structure and layout

The structure of your employee handbook should be easy to navigate, especially if it’s a lengthy document. Here are a few best practices to consider:

• Use a table of contents (TOC) with hyperlinks to each section.
• At the end of each section, provide a link back to the TOC.
• Begin each chapter or section with a bulleted list of key takeaways. This strategy improves reading comprehension and increases the likelihood that your readers will commit the information to long-term memory.
• Avoid long walls of text. Break up the content into subsections with clear headings, short paragraphs of 4 or 5 lines, and bulleted lists wherever possible.
• Illustrate complex technical instructions (e.g., login procedures) with visual aids (e.g., screenshots).

3. Use clear and consistent language

Make sure that the word choices and sentence structures in your document are easy to follow and crystal clear.

• Break down abstract concepts into concrete steps. For example, a statement like “treat customers with respect” is abstract and vague. Instead, articulate the specific actions employees should take to meet your standards.
• Mirror the terminology of other workplace documents, such as performance rubrics, training simulations, customer-facing manuals, and employee FAQs.
• Use imperative statements (e.g., “Start each shift by checking the help ticket backlog”) and second-person pronouns (e.g., “you” rather than “employees”) to address the reader.

Using an AI employee handbook generator

Using QuillBot’s employee handbook generator can significantly speed up the writing process. To get the best results, guide the tool with a clear prompt and follow-up questions. Here are some practical tips to make the most of your experience:

• Start with a clear outline: Before generating content, provide the tool with a basic structure for your handbook (e.g., company values, employment policies, code of conduct, etc.). Alternatively, ask QuillBot to make you an outline that you can adjust as needed before prompting the tool to develop each section.
• Use follow-up prompts to build each section: Once you have your outline, dive deeper by prompting the AI to write content for each part. You can also prompt QuillBot to ask you questions in order to develop each section.
• Provide specific details: The more detail you give the AI, the more accurate and relevant the content will be. Include information like company size, industry, tone (formal or casual), or any specific policies you want included.
• Edit and personalize the output: Use the generated content as a draft, not a final version. Make sure to tailor the language to match your company’s voice and values, and review for accuracy and legal compliance.
• Regenerate or revise sections as needed: If a section doesn’t quite match your expectations, you can ask the AI to revise it, simplify the language, or provide alternative wording.

By using these strategies, you’ll get a well-organized, high-quality employee handbook draft that’s easy to refine and share with your team.

QuillBot’s employee handbook generator prompt

Frequently asked questions about how to use an AI employee handbook generator

What should an employee handbook include?

An employee handbook should include all of the policies and procedures that employees need to follow along with your company’s mission and values. Some sections to consider include: 

• Mission statement
• Workplace behavior standards and code of ethics
• Employee benefits and leave policies
• Workplace health, safety measures, and security protocols
• Rules for using company technology and social media
• Standard operating procedures
• Legal notices and disclaimers

QuillBot’s free employee handbook generator can help you draft and revise a handbook that’s tailored to your business needs.

What is the purpose of an employee handbook?

The purpose of an employee handbook is to clearly communicate a company’s policies, expectations, and values to its employees. It serves as a central resource for understanding workplace rules, benefits, procedures, and legal rights. 

For employers, it helps ensure consistency, reduce misunderstandings, and support legal compliance. 

For employees, it provides clarity on their responsibilities and what they can expect from the organization—making it a key tool for fostering transparency, accountability, and a positive work environment.

QuillBot’s free employee handbook generator can help you create a handbook that fulfills all of these goals.