Prompt: Create an Employee Handbook Section

Employee handbooks are either 200 pages of legalese nobody reads or a Google Doc with three bullet points that covers nothing. Neither protects your business or helps your team.

This prompt creates handbook sections that balance legal coverage with readability. Use it to prompt create employee handbook section drafts that HR and employees both appreciate.

The Prompt

Write an employee handbook section on the following topic:

TOPIC: [e.g., "Remote Work Policy" or "Time Off and Leave" or "Code of Conduct"]
COMPANY SIZE: [e.g., "15 employees" or "200 employees"]
INDUSTRY: [Relevant for compliance considerations]
LOCATION(S): [State/country for legal context]
EXISTING POLICY: [Paste any existing language you want to preserve or improve]
COMPANY CULTURE: [e.g., "Startup, flexible, trust-based" or "Corporate, structured, formal"]

Structure the section as:

1. POLICY OVERVIEW (2-3 sentences in plain language explaining what this section covers and why it exists)
2. WHO THIS APPLIES TO (which employees, which situations)
3. THE POLICY (clear rules, numbered for reference)
   - Each rule must be specific enough to enforce
   - Include examples where rules require interpretation
   - State exceptions explicitly
4. PROCEDURES (how to request, report, or comply)
   - Step-by-step with responsible parties named by role
5. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (5 questions employees actually ask about this topic)
6. CONSEQUENCES (what happens if the policy is violated, escalation path)

Rules:
- Write at a Grade 8 reading level maximum
- Use "you" and "we" language, not "the employee shall"
- Be specific. "Reasonable notice" is vague. "At least 2 weeks notice" is enforceable.
- Flag any area where legal review is recommended with [LEGAL REVIEW NEEDED]
- Do not include specific legal citations as these vary by jurisdiction
- Keep the section under 1,000 words
- Make it sound like your company, not like a law firm

The Legal Disclaimer

AI-generated handbook content needs legal review. Full stop. The prompt flags areas where this is most critical, but every section should be reviewed by an employment attorney familiar with your jurisdiction before publication.

This is not optional. Employment law varies by state, by country, and by company size. A policy that is perfectly legal in Texas might violate California labor code.

Building the Full Handbook

Run this prompt for each standard section: employment basics, compensation and benefits, time off, code of conduct, remote work, communication policies, safety, and termination procedures.

Each section follows the same format. The consistency makes the handbook navigable. Employees can find what they need quickly because every section is structured the same way.

Keeping It Current

Set a calendar reminder to review the handbook quarterly. Run updated sections through Claude with new context: "We changed our PTO policy from unlimited to 25 days. Update this section to reflect the new policy while preserving the existing format."

A handbook that stays current is a handbook that gets used. One that is three years out of date gets ignored.

Build These Systems

Ready to implement? These step-by-step tutorials show you exactly how:

• How to Build a Company Policy Q&A Bot with RAG - Create an internal bot that answers policy questions from your handbook.
• How to Automate Employee Onboarding Checklists - Create and track onboarding checklists that assign tasks automatically.
• How to Build an Employee Knowledge Base with AI - Create a self-updating internal knowledge base that answers employee questions.