Skip to main content Skip to footer site map
Employee handbooks hero

Employee Handbook Services

Limited Time: Three Months Free1

An effective employee handbook is a tool that helps educate employees about expectations of management and potentially serves as documentation in case of an employment dispute. Paychex has an Employee Handbook Builder that offers:

  • Easy instruction with intuitive navigation
  • A selection of federal and state policies with ongoing updates
  • Updates reflect legislation and are reviewed by a leading national labor and employment law firm
  • Easy customization to reflect your company’s unique needs

Get help with your employee handbook

  • Easy-to-use online handbook builder
  • Potentially reduce legal actions by clearly communicating employee rights
  • Policies to address employment laws at the federal level and in all 50 states
  • Ongoing updates to federal and state policies
  • Consolidating important company information can help with onboarding
  • Customizable based on your unique needs
  • Engage employees by providing context on company values
  • Options to create Microsoft® Word or PDF file for distribution

What You Can Gain

Your handbook should reflect the specific needs of your business. Paychex will help you to ensure that your company policies are reflected accurately.

Build your own handbook

Paychex provides an online handbook builder tool that identifies policies for inclusion based on where your employees work and your employee count. Customize your handbook with additional optional policies applicable to your business.

Customize the handbook to your needs

Tailor the handbook to the specific needs of your business, including company policies, philosophy, and the culture that make your company unique with an employee handbook that is customizable.

Getting your employee handbook into the right hands

Creating a handbook is only half the task. Making sure it gets to those who need to know the policies is the other half. The employee handbook is saved online, so it can be downloaded and then distributed via email or posted in your company intranet as a Word or .pdf file. Plus, you save on printing costs.

No matter where your employees are, we have you covered

The employee handbook builder provides federal policies as well as policies for all 50 states, so you’ll be able to adjust accordingly to serve the specific needs of every state. Plus, Paychex provides timely updates to address changing employment laws and regulations.

Updating policies creates clear expectations

With the COVID-19 pandemic creating remote work scenarios, businesses found it beneficial and easy to update their employee handbooks with policies to address the “new normal” environment.

Business owner on his computer

"Being able to know (there is) an HR specialist we can tap into and have them work with us on employee manuals, and updates, and have an alert come out to us automatically if there is a change in the state regulation that would affect the manual, that is great."

Khandan Farjadi
Owner
Farmers Insurance Agency, Fresno, CA

FAQs on Employee Handbooks

  • What should you include in an employee handbook?

    What should you include in an employee handbook?

    Your employee handbook is specific to your business, so it should include information such as the history of your business, its mission statement, and even goals. It should also explain your company’s culture. Most importantly, an employee handbook should contain legally reviewed policies related to employment and human resources information, including on harassment and discrimination, that employees should know, as well as details about employee benefits.

  • What should an employee handbook not include?

    What should an employee handbook not include?

    If you do business in an at-will state, never create confusion or set expectations by using such words as “permanent” or “probationary period” or “just cause.”

  • Does an employer have to provide a handbook?

    Does an employer have to provide a handbook?

    No. In fact, no law exists at the federal or state level requiring the existence of handbooks.

  • What is an employee handbook used for?

    What is an employee handbook used for?

    An employee handbook provides information employees need to know about your company — it’s culture, its history, and its policies. It’s a communication tool that sets expectations for your employees, indicates their rights as an employee, and for you, as the owner, your legal requirements.

  • Why is an employee handbook important?

    Why is an employee handbook important?

    This document includes legal information such as harassment policies in the workplace that are clearly defined. It details workplace safety policies. It is an important tool during any issue or potential legal dispute that can serve as the point of reference for why disciplinary action or termination took place.

  • What is the difference between an employee handbook and policy manual?

    What is the difference between an employee handbook and policy manual?

    Audience. An employee handbook is written for employees. A policy manual is intended for to be used by managers as a reference tool.

Join Approximately 740,000 Customers and Get Help Managing HR, Payroll, and Benefits