Create a Professional Employee Handbook Without Spending $5,000 on Attorneys
Complete handbook templates for small businesses (10-100 employees). Includes implementation guide, policy worksheet, and state addendums for CA, NY, IL, and WA. Download instantly and start customizing today.
✓ Save $3,000-$8,000 vs. hiring attorneys to draft from scratch
✓ Get compliant in 4-6 weeks instead of 3-6 months
✓ Stop worrying about missing critical policies
✓ Protect your business from wrongful termination claims
✓ Multi-state ready with CA, NY, IL, and WA addendums included (Premium)
You Know You Need an Employee Handbook… But You’re Stuck
For Small Business Founders & HR Leaders
You Just Hired Employee #10
State and federal employment laws are kicking in. You need formal policies in writing—but where do you even start?
You’re Expanding to a New State
California? New York? Their employment laws are nothing like what you’re used to. One wrong move = expensive compliance issues.
You Had Your First HR Incident
Performance issue. Harassment complaint. FMLA request. Suddenly you realize: you have no written policies to fall back on.
You Got Attorney Quotes and Nearly Fainted
$3,000 to $8,000 to draft a handbook from scratch? $500/hour for every revision? For a 20-person company, that’s not realistic.
You Don’t Have Time to Research This Yourself
Free templates online are outdated, incomplete, or generic. Creating policies from scratch would take 100+ hours you don’t have. You need something better.
💸 The Real Cost of Not Having a Handbook
Legal Exposure:
- Wrongful termination lawsuits (average settlement: $40,000)
- Discrimination claims without documented policies
- Wage and hour violations from unclear overtime rules
- FMLA violations because you didn’t know your obligations
Operational Chaos:
- Inconsistent treatment of employees
- Managers making up rules as they go
- No documentation when you need to terminate
- Confusion about PTO, holidays, benefits
What Most Small Businesses Do (And Why It Doesn’t Work)
Hire an Attorney
- Attorney researches and drafts from scratch
- Hourly billing for consultations and revisions
- Timeline depends on attorney availability
- Additional fees for multi-state compliance
Use a Free/Cheap Template
- Generic policies not tailored to your business
- Often missing state-specific requirements
- No decision-making framework provided
- Implementation guidance not included
DIY Research
- Research federal and state employment laws
- Navigate conflicting online information
- Draft policies without legal expertise
- Uncertain whether coverage is complete
How Our Employee Handbook System Works
More Comprehensive Coverage
59 professionally drafted policies covering federal employment law and common state requirements, compared to the 20-40 policies typically found in basic templates. Each policy includes multiple implementation options so you can tailor the handbook to your specific business needs.
Step-by-Step Implementation Guide
Our 210-page implementation guide provides detailed decision frameworks, customization instructions, and a structured week-by-week checklist. You’ll understand not just what policies to include, but how to make informed decisions about each one.
State-Specific Compliance
Premium package includes comprehensive addendums for California, New York, Illinois, and Washington—four states with complex employment law requirements. Each addendum provides detailed policy language and compliance guidance specific to that jurisdiction.
Expert Consultation & Support
Essential includes 30 days of email support through our ticketing system. Premium includes everything in Essential plus a 60-minute one-on-one consultation with our implementation team, 60 days of priority support, and complete manager training materials.
Your Implementation Timeline
Most businesses complete their handbook draft in 4-6 weeks following our structured process. Actual timeline may vary based on business complexity, decision-making requirements, and attorney availability.
✅ Professional handbook draft ready for attorney review in approximately 6 weeks when following our structured implementation process
Choose Your Package
Both packages provide comprehensive federal employment law coverage. Choose based on your state requirements and desired level of support.
Choose Essential ($299) if:
- ✓ All employees work in ONE state
- ✓ That state is NOT California, New York, Illinois, or Washington
- ✓ You want core federal compliance coverage
- ✓ You’re comfortable researching additional state requirements if needed
Choose Premium ($499) if:
- ✓ You have employees in California, New York, Illinois, or Washington
- ✓ You’re planning to expand to any of these states
- ✓ You want expert consultation included
- ✓ You need ready-to-use manager training materials
- ✓ Multi-state compliance is important to you
Side-by-Side Comparison
| What’s Included | Essential $299 |
Premium $499 |
|---|---|---|
| Core Handbook System | ||
| 59-policy handbook template | ✓ | ✓ |
| Editable Google Docs format | ✓ | ✓ |
| 210-page implementation guide | ✓ | ✓ |
| Policy decision worksheet (25 pages) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Implementation checklist | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4 handbook cover templates | ✓ | ✓ |
| State-Specific Guidance | ||
| California addendum (20+ policies) | — | ✓ |
| New York addendum (15+ policies) | — | ✓ |
| Illinois addendum (13+ policies) | — | ✓ |
| Washington addendum (14+ policies) | — | ✓ |
| Multi-state compliance guide | — | ✓ |
| Implementation Support | ||
| Expert consultation | — | 60 minutes |
| Manager training presentation (PowerPoint) | — | ✓ |
| Manager quick reference guides | — | ✓ |
| Support duration | 30 days | 60 days |
| Response time | 2-3 business days | 1 business day |
| Updates & Maintenance | ||
| Template updates (1 year) | ✓ | ✓ |
Is This Comprehensive System Right for Your Business?
Our Employee Handbook System is designed for growing businesses that value sustainable, professional HR practices. This is not a “quick template”—it’s a complete implementation framework for organizations committed to doing this right.
Perfect For:
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Growing Businesses Ready to Formalize HR Practices
You’re scaling from informal management to professional HR systems. You understand the value of comprehensive policies and want a structured implementation process, not a quick-fix template.
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Founders & HR Leaders Who Value Process
You’re willing to invest 20-30 hours working through our implementation guide and decision frameworks. You want to understand your policy choices, not just copy-paste generic language.
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Companies Seeking Sustainable Solutions
You need policies that improve employee relations and operations long-term. You’re looking for a system that includes manager training, rollout guidance, and ongoing support—not just a document template.
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Businesses Expanding to Complex Jurisdictions
You’re hiring in California, New York, Illinois, or Washington and need detailed state-specific guidance. You want expert consultation to navigate multi-state compliance (Premium package).
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Organizations Committed to Professional Implementation
You understand this requires attorney review. You’re prepared to follow a 4-6 week structured process. You value doing this right over doing this fast.
Not Right For:
-
Businesses Seeking “Quick and Dirty” Solutions
If you just need something to check a box quickly without investing time in proper implementation, this comprehensive system will feel overwhelming. A basic template may be more appropriate.
-
Companies Without Time for Structured Process
Our system requires working through decision worksheets, customizing policies, and following implementation steps. If you can’t invest 20-30 hours over 4-6 weeks, you won’t get full value from the materials.
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Businesses Not Planning Attorney Review
This system gets you 90% of the way to a finished handbook, but attorney review is essential for the final 10%. If you’re not planning to have legal counsel review your final document, this isn’t appropriate for your needs.
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Highly Regulated Industries Requiring Specialized Policies
Healthcare providers, financial services firms, government contractors, and similar organizations often need industry-specific policies beyond standard employment law compliance. Our templates provide a foundation but may require substantial additions.
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Companies Seeking Fully Done-For-You Service
While Premium includes expert consultation, both packages require you to do the customization work. If you want someone else to draft everything from start to finish, hire an employment attorney for full-service handbook creation.
Common Buyer Profiles
Profile: Scaling Startup
- Professionalizing HR as team grows to 15-25 employees
- Values structured systems over quick fixes
- Willing to invest time in implementation for long-term stability
- Budget-conscious but prioritizes quality and compliance
Profile: Multi-State Employer
- Expanding to California, New York, Illinois, or Washington
- Needs expert guidance on complex state requirements
- Values consultation and manager training support
- Wants comprehensive solution with ongoing updates
Profile: HR Professional
- Tasked with handbook overhaul or creation
- Needs polished materials for leadership buy-in
- Wants manager training tools ready to deploy
- Appreciates structured implementation frameworks
Frequently Asked Questions
Is attorney review included in the price?
How is this different from free templates online?
Why is this more expensive than other handbook templates?
Do I need Premium if I only have one employee in California?
Can I upgrade from Essential to Premium later?
What format are the files delivered in?
How long does implementation typically take?
What if employment laws change after I purchase?
Can I use this for multiple locations in the same state?
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
We’re confident in the quality and comprehensiveness of our Employee Handbook System. Download all materials, review the templates and implementation guide, and begin customizing your handbook. If you determine within 30 days of purchase that our system does not meet your needs, submit a support ticket at hrlauncherlab.com/support requesting a refund.
No questions asked. Full refund processed promptly.
This guarantee demonstrates our commitment to providing exceptional value and supporting your success in creating a professional employee handbook.
Invest in Professional HR Compliance Today
You’ve researched your options and understand the importance of proper employment policies.
The decision comes down to this: invest $299-$499 in comprehensive templates with professional guidance, or pay $5,000-$20,000+ for full attorney-drafted handbooks. Both approaches require legal review—the difference is where you invest your resources.
Important Information
No Warranties: This Employee Handbook System is provided “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of the materials for your specific business needs.
Results May Vary: Time and cost savings referenced on this page are based on typical client experiences and industry benchmarks, but actual results will vary based on multiple factors including business complexity, number of employees, jurisdictions involved, attorney rates in your area, and time invested in the implementation process.
Attorney Review Required: This is a template and guidance system, not legal advice. You must have an employment attorney licensed in your state review your completed handbook before distributing it to employees. We cannot guarantee specific attorney review costs as these vary by jurisdiction, attorney rates, and business complexity.
Support Access: For all support inquiries, please submit a ticket at hrlauncherlab.com/support. Email support is provided through our ticketing system only. Response times are approximate and may vary based on inquiry complexity and volume.
Template Limitations: While comprehensive, our templates may not address industry-specific requirements for highly regulated sectors (healthcare, financial services, government contracting, etc.) or unique business circumstances. Consult with qualified legal counsel about your specific situation.