The problem
Small teams run on unwritten rules. New staff guess, and disagreements start when two people remember the rule differently.
Step by step
- List how things work now: hours, breaks, holiday requests, sickness, uniforms, phones, safety, pay days.
- Ask the AI to organise the list into handbook sections in plain English.
- Compare every legal point with official guidance for your country or state.
- Have an employment adviser check it if you can.
- Give it to every staff member and ask them to confirm they have read it.
The prompt
Help me draft an employee handbook for {business name}, a {type of business} in {country or state} with {number} staff.
How things work now: {notes}
Organise these into clear sections with headings, in plain English. Where a section touches employment law (leave, pay, discipline, discrimination), add a note saying "check against current law" rather than stating the law.
Replace the {highlighted} parts with your details, or fill them in with the prompt builder.
Check before you use it
- Every legal point is checked against official guidance.
- It matches what you actually do.
Privacy
- Do not include individual staff details.
Do’s and don’ts
Do
- Write it in the voice you use with your team.
- Keep it short enough to read.
- Review it every year.
Don’t
- Copy a big company’s handbook.
- Rely on AI for minimum wage, leave or notice rules.
- Put rules in writing that you do not follow.
When not to use AI for this
Employment law varies by country and state and changes often. AI drafts are a start, not legal compliance.
Tools that can help
ChatGPTOpenAI’s general assistant for drafting, summarising, analysing files and brainstorming.
ClaudeAnthropic’s general assistant, good with long documents, writing and analysis.
NotionNotes, wikis and project boards with built-in AI writing and search.
TrainualA home for SOPs and training, with AI help writing them.
We are not paid by any of these companies, and we list well-known options, not a ranking. Features and plans change; check the provider’s site and its data terms before you sign up. See all AI tools by category.
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