Employee Handbook Template for Startups (Fully Fillable PDF + Word)

Most employee handbook templates are either a bare-bones page and a half, or a 40-page enterprise document with sections no startup needs yet. This one is built for a small, growing team: nine focused sections covering what actually comes up in your first year, with a visual onboarding timeline instead of another wall of policy text.

What's inside:

• Nine sections: Welcome, Employment Basics, Workplace Conduct, Compensation  & Pay, Time Off & Leave, Technology & Confidentiality, Performance &  Growth, Resignation & Termination, and a signature-ready Acknowledgment page
• A visual milestone timeline (Day 1 \u2192 Day 90 \u2192 6 Months \u2192 1 Year)  mapping the employee lifecycle instead of burying it in paragraph text
• 19 real fillable fields across both the Word doc and a companion PDF  \u2014 fields that repeat (company name, HR contact info) are linked, so  you fill them in once, not five times
• Editable .docx for full control over wording and policy specifics

Who this is for:

Startup founders and early HR/People hires writing their first real handbook, who want something that looks considered without months of legal drafting.

Format & technical notes:

Delivered as an editable .docx plus a PDF with 19 fillable form fields. This is a starting template, not legal advice \u2014 employment law varies by state and country, so have a local employment attorney review your final handbook before distributing it.