Your beautiful, branded, and intentionally “fun” PDF handbook project started with the right goals. For many teams, it’s a meaningful upgrade from the staid, legalese handbook employees barely touched. The content feels more human, the design reflects company culture, and the format is familiar. Teams choose PDFs because they know how they work and because a well-designed one genuinely feels more likely to be read (and a heck of a lot more fun to make).

The problem is what happens after that PDF is distributed. From that moment on, the content is frozen. Policies need ongoing updates as laws change, internal practices evolve, and expectations shift. A static file can’t keep up, and neither can a workflow that requires routing changes through a design team. Each update becomes a multi-step process, which encourages teams to delay changes so they can batch them together. In the meantime, employees are referencing information that’s already out of date.

This article breaks down the risks that come with relying on that beautiful PDF handbook with a custom layout, regardless of how polished or engaging it looks. You’ll see how this approach introduces friction, limits visibility, and increases compliance risk. Additionally, you’ll learn how modern HR teams are moving to a more flexible way of managing and sharing their policies (while keeping it on-brand and engaging).

If you’ve ever stared at a confusing labor law and thought, “Could someone just tell me what this actually means?” good news! The Department of Labor is reviving a powerful tool that does exactly that.

After years on the shelf, DOL opinion letters are making a comeback, and this time, they’re expanding across five key agencies. That’s a helpful development for HR, legal, and compliance teams looking for more clarity in their day-to-day. These letters provide direct, customized employment law guidance straight from the DOL. In other words, real answers to real questions, backed by the agency that enforces the law.

Unlike general advisories or blog content, these are official interpretations from the DOL that can guide labor law compliance and support employer decision-making.

The DOL’s 2025 update makes this resource more accessible and applicable across more agencies, giving HR and compliance teams a clearer path to federal guidance.