Handbooks that sound like your organization, not like every other organization.
Custom employee handbooks for small businesses and nonprofits, drafted from a structured intake process and built to fit your actual culture.
The case for custom
Most employee handbooks read like they were written by someone who has never met your team. That's because most of them were. They're templates, lightly edited, built to cover the legal bases and not much else.
Your handbook can do more than that. It can tell new hires what kind of place they've joined. It can give managers clear ground to stand on. It can reflect the actual way decisions get made, conflicts get handled, and work gets done in your organization. And it can do all of that while meeting the legal standards it needs to meet.
Who this is for
Small businesses and nonprofits with 5 to 150 employees, in one or more states, who are either writing their first handbook or replacing one that no longer fits. Organizations whose culture deserves documentation that reflects it.
What's included
Every handbook engagement includes a structured intake and discovery process, a policy inventory reviewed with you before drafting begins, a complete handbook drafted in plain language, two rounds of revisions, a final walkthrough call, and a rollout guide for distributing the handbook to your team.
Legal soundness is built in. I bring a law degree to this work, and your handbook will reflect current federal requirements and the employment law of each state where you operate.
Outcomes, deliverables, and turnaround
- A handbook employees actually read and know how to use
- Clear ground for managers when applying policy day to day
- Legal alignment with federal law and each state where you operate
- A document that sounds like your organization, not a template's
- Complete handbook in Word and PDF, formatted for print and screen
- Policy inventory reviewed with you before drafting begins
- Employee acknowledgment forms and distribution guide
- Final walkthrough call with leadership
Foundation tier: 4–6 weeks. Standard tier: 6–8 weeks. Comprehensive tier: 8–12 weeks. Two to three revision rounds included; rush timelines available at a 20% premium.
Three tiers
Foundation
Organizations with up to 25 employees in a single state, building their first handbook.
Core policies required by federal law and the employment law of your state, written in plain language and adapted to your organization's voice. Includes at-will employment, EEO, anti-harassment, wage and hour, leave (state-mandated), benefits overview, code of conduct, technology, confidentiality, and separation. Acknowledgment forms and basic distribution guide included.
- Intake
- Questionnaire and one 90-minute discovery call.
- Revisions
- Two rounds.
- Timeline
- 4–6 weeks.
Standard
Most chosenOrganizations with 25–75 employees, in one or two states, with a distinct culture or mission.
Everything in Foundation, plus custom culture and values sections, a remote and hybrid work policy tailored to your practices, a manager addendum with guidance on applying policies consistently, expanded leave and accommodation policies, conflict resolution procedures, and second-state coverage.
- Intake
- Questionnaire, two discovery calls, plus written input from one or two additional staff members.
- Revisions
- Two rounds with mid-draft checkpoint.
- Timeline
- 6–8 weeks.
Comprehensive
Organizations with 75+ employees, multi-state operations, or complex policy needs.
Everything in Standard, plus multi-state coverage (up to four states), policies addressing complex situations (accommodations, investigations, progressive discipline, RIFs), an accompanying suite of core HR SOPs, a supervisor training outline for rollout, and an annual update for year one included.
- Intake
- Full discovery process including leadership interviews, staff input, and process walkthroughs.
- Revisions
- Three rounds with two mid-draft checkpoints.
- Timeline
- 8–12 weeks.
Optional add-ons
Additional state coverage ($400–600 per state), union or CBA addendum (quoted), translation (quoted), annual update service for Foundation and Standard (25% of project cost), and board or leadership presentation ($500) are available with any tier.