5 Best Employee Handbook Examples

Say goodbye to the days of long, boring handbooks that evoked yawns and glazed looks from employees everywhere. There’s a whole world of outstanding and unputdownable employee handbooks that convey policies and procedures in a way that engages and ignites a sense of belonging among workers. 

We’ve compiled five examples to show you creative ways to present information and foster a positive work culture. Whether you’re creating a new employee handbook or revamping an existing one, these examples provide valuable inspiration and guidance.

Let’s dive into some exceptional employee handbooks and uncover what makes them stand out.

What is an Employee Handbook?

An employee handbook is a comprehensive document that outlines important information, policies, and guidelines for employees. It serves as a reference guide, offering employees a clear understanding of the company’s expectations, rules, and procedures.

The typical handbook covers employment policies, codes of conduct, benefits, policies governing leaves, and other information to help employees navigate their roles and responsibilities within your organization.

If you want the nitty-gritty details, check out How to Create an Employee Handbook.

What Should an Employee Handbook Include?

An employee handbook should provide a detailed overview of your organization’s practices, goals, and structures. It includes essential company information and policies that set employees up for success.

While the contents of each employee handbook will vary, here are some elements common to most employee handbooks:

• A warm and welcoming message from company leadership, introducing the purpose and importance of the handbook
• A brief overview of the organization, including its mission, vision, values, and history
• Clear and concise statements about employment-related policies, such as equal employment opportunity, policies against discrimination and harassment, employment classifications, and various eligibility criteria
• Expectations of employee behavior, professional ethics, and standards of conduct within the workplace
• Information on employee compensation, salary structures, performance reviews, pay periods, and details about benefits packages and other perks
• Guidelines on work hours, attendance expectations, punctuality, and procedures for requesting time off or reporting absences
• Safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and protocols for reporting accidents, injuries, or hazards
• Communication guidelines related to email and internet usage, social media participation, and confidentiality obligations
• Clear steps for employees to raise concerns or file complaints, including reporting channels and the investigation process
• Policies regarding different types of leaves, such as sick leave, parental leave, bereavement leave, and military leave, along with the procedures for requesting and managing such leaves
• Guidelines for responsible use of company technology and information systems, data protection, and security measures
• Policies and procedures related to the termination of employment, including notice periods, exit interviews, and return of company property

You should review and update your employee handbook regularly . This helps ensure employees are viewing information that complies with the latest laws, regulations, and company policies or procedures.

We provide greater detail in this article: What Should an Employee Handbook Include?

5 Examples of Stellar Employee Handbooks

There are some shining examples of employee handbooks that are memorable and stand out from the rest. These handbooks go beyond what’s routine, instead capturing attention with their innovation, engaging content, and alignment with company culture. 

Let’s explore these five inspirational employee handbooks and highlight what makes them unique. They are full of ideas to help you create a one-of-a-kind employee handbook that reflects your company’s individuality.

Example 1 – Valve Corporation

Software company Valve Corporation has earned a reputation for its groundbreaking contributions to the gaming industry. With its uniquely flat organizational structure and innovative approach to product development, Valve continues to redefine the boundaries of creativity and player-centric experiences. It’s no surprise then that its employee handbook is more than your ordinary corporate document.

Valve’s employee handbook was leaked in 2012 and immediately went viral. The handbook’s popularity can be attributed to its humorous illustrations that add a refreshing twist to what is often seen as dry and legalistic content. In a witty and enjoyable tone, Valve’s handbook reflects the company’s ‘Flatland’ structure and exudes a strong sense of personality and irreverence.

A key strength of Valve’s handbook is its candid and conversational style. It reads like a genuine conversation between a seasoned employee and a newcomer, addressing common questions and concerns in a relatable manner. This approach fosters a sense of connection and encourages open communication within the company.

In addition to its entertainment value, the Valve employee handbook is highly informative. It provides insights into the company’s cultural nuances, lingo, and day-to-day operations, ensuring that employees are well-equipped to navigate their roles. The handbook covers a wide range of topics, including practical details like desk-moving instructions, demonstrating its comprehensive nature.

Example 2 – Zappos

Footwear and apparel e-tailer Zappos is known for its innovative and vibrant work culture. The company demonstrates its creative ethos with an annual employee handbook edition. One standout example is its comic book-themed handbook, designed to inform employees in a uniquely entertaining way. 

The comic book theme permeates every aspect of this handbook, from the superhero-inspired cover to the ‘advertisements’ that highlight different company departments. The HR department, for instance, is introduced in the form of an ad for a pizza delivery company.

Even the typically sleep-inducing policies and procedures section is transformed into an engaging short story featuring a grandmother explaining the policies to her grandson.

Zappos’ commitment to cultural fit is evident throughout the handbook. A scattering of real staff photos, quotes, and testimonials emphasize the importance of embracing the company’s values and creating a sense of connection.

Example 3 – HubSpot

Software developer and marketer HubSpot’s Culture Code slideshow is described by the company as the blend of a manifesto and an employee handbook. With its attractive design, the 128-slide document captivates readers. It transforms typically mundane topics, like intellectual property and open-door policies, into highly engaging content.

A notable feature of the Culture Code slideshow is its conversational writing style. The company’s playful and goofy culture shines throughout the handbook, creating a relatable and enjoyable reading experience for employees.

Instead of cramming dense information onto a few slides, HubSpot goes for simplicity and clarity, allowing readers to grasp important content easily. It also sprinkles in enough humor to keep the tone light and engaging.

Example 4 – Parks and Recreation (a Blissbook original)

Here’s an example you probably didn’t expect! Our team created a fictional employee handbook based on the show, Parks and Recreation. It gave us an opportunity to infuse the document with the show’s unique humor while demonstrating how to marry a culture guide with traditional policy content from an employee handbook. 

Blending the two in one document makes it easy for employees to find the information they’re looking for; plus, it’s a nice way to present the content an employee is signing off on.

We drew inspiration from the characters, storylines, and quirky setting of Pawnee, Indiana, to create a handbook that captures the essence of the show. It incorporates witty policies and guidelines in a way that reflects the comedic style of the series.

While keeping the fictional nature of the handbook in mind, we ensured that important information is still effectively communicated. Balancing humor with relevant and useful content makes this employee handbook example fun to read but also informative for the fictional employees of the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department.

Example 5 – GitLab

Another example worth checking out comes from GitLab. While it’s dubbed an “employee handbook,” the site is better described as a guide to “how things work around here.” It goes beyond standard HR policies and acts as a source document detailing how everything operates at GitLab. We typically see this all-encompassing structure among smaller organizations.

In addition to the policies you’d expect to see in an employee handbook, the site contains detailed background information and step-by-step technology processes with screenshots. 

As another example, under the Product subheading, there’s a wealth of information ranging from Product Manager Responsibilities to the Product Development Flow.

Though this structure isn’t feasible for every organization, GitLab identified its needs and developed an innovative solution.

Create a Memorable Employee Handbook with Blissbook

It’s your turn now to embark on the exciting journey of creating your own employee handbook! Trust us when we say that developing a unique and memorable handbook is not as daunting as it may seem. The right software can make this process easy. 

At Blissbook, we offer a user-friendly interface and customizable templates to help you create truly exceptional handbooks that reflect your company’s culture and values. Working with Blissbook is like having a thoughtful guide by your side — one who makes sure you cover it all in the best possible way.

Remember, your employee handbook is more than just a bunch of rules and policy statements. It’s an opportunity to create a document that truly speaks to your employees, guides them on their journey, and fosters a positive work environment.

Sign up for a trial today to discover the full potential of Blissbook.