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Most startups reach 10, 15, or 20 people before anyone has written down the rules. This bundle gives growing businesses the six core policies that form the foundation of any compliant, credible employment environment — policies that investors expect to see at due diligence, that enterprise customers increasingly require as a contracting condition, and that employees deserve to have.
Six documents: the Code of Conduct (eight principles with scenario cards, Do/Don't tables, and an annual acknowledgement form), the Confidentiality Policy & NDA (integrated 12-clause NDA with multi-jurisdiction trade secret guidance), the Acceptable Use Policy (covering systems, devices, BYOD, monitoring obligations, and AI tools), the Data Protection Policy (GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA, PIPEDA, and Australian Privacy Act compliant, with breach response framework), the Health & Safety Policy (covering employer and employee duties, home working obligations, and jurisdiction-specific reporting), and the Equal Opportunities & Anti-Discrimination Policy (covering protected characteristics across all five jurisdictions).
Every policy is written in plain language, professionally designed, and includes inline guidance on the specific legislative requirements in each jurisdiction. Start with this bundle and add the Ethics & Governance Kit and People & Wellbeing Kit as the business grows.
What's included
– Code of Conduct
– Confidentiality Policy & NDA
– Acceptable Use Policy
– Data Protection Policy
– Health & Safety Policy
– Equal Opportunities Policy
– 6 documents total
FAQs
Q Which six policies are in the Startup Policy Foundation and why these six?
The six policies are: Code of Conduct, Confidentiality Policy & NDA, Acceptable Use Policy, Data Protection Policy, Health & Safety Policy, and Equal Opportunities & Anti-Discrimination Policy. These are the six that every employer needs in place before they need any others — they cover the baseline legal obligations (data protection, health and safety, equal opportunities), the commercial protections (confidentiality and IP), the operational infrastructure (acceptable use of systems and devices), and the cultural foundation (conduct standards). Investors, enterprise customers, and employment regulators all expect to see these in place. They are the foundation that every other policy builds on.
Q At what stage should a startup have these policies in place?
Before your tenth employee, ideally before your fifth. The practical reality is that most startups reach their first ten people through a period of intense focus on product and commercial growth, and HR documentation gets deferred. The risk that creates is real: a data breach without a data protection policy, a conduct incident without a code of conduct, or a health and safety issue without a safety statement each creates significant legal exposure. The Startup Policy Foundation is priced and structured so that the cost and effort of getting these in place is minimal relative to the risk of not having them.
Q Do I need a lawyer to implement these policies?
Not to put them in place initially. The policies are professionally drafted with inline jurisdiction guidance, so a founder or HR lead can implement them without specialist legal input. However, if you are in a regulated industry (health, finance, education), if you operate in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously, or if you have reason to believe an existing practice may not be compliant, a review by employment counsel in the applicable jurisdiction is recommended before relying on the policies in a formal setting. The policies provide the documented framework; counsel provides the jurisdiction-specific assurance.
Q Is this bundle the right starting point if I also need policies like remote working and parental leave?
The Startup Policy Foundation covers the six core policies that every employer needs first. The People & Wellbeing Kit covers the next layer — Mental Health, Parental Leave & Flexible Working, Remote & Hybrid Working, Expenses, Share Option & Equity, and Pay Transparency. The Ethics & Governance Kit covers the governance layer — Anti-Bribery, Conflicts of Interest, Whistleblowing, Social Media, Inventions & IP, and AI Usage. The three kits are designed to be purchased together or over time as the business grows. The Full Policy Library bundles all nineteen policies in one purchase at a saving of $57 versus the three kits separately.
Most startups reach 10, 15, or 20 people before anyone has written down the rules. This bundle gives growing businesses the six core policies that form the foundation of any compliant, credible employment environment — policies that investors expect to see at due diligence, that enterprise customers increasingly require as a contracting condition, and that employees deserve to have.
Six documents: the Code of Conduct (eight principles with scenario cards, Do/Don't tables, and an annual acknowledgement form), the Confidentiality Policy & NDA (integrated 12-clause NDA with multi-jurisdiction trade secret guidance), the Acceptable Use Policy (covering systems, devices, BYOD, monitoring obligations, and AI tools), the Data Protection Policy (GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA, PIPEDA, and Australian Privacy Act compliant, with breach response framework), the Health & Safety Policy (covering employer and employee duties, home working obligations, and jurisdiction-specific reporting), and the Equal Opportunities & Anti-Discrimination Policy (covering protected characteristics across all five jurisdictions).
Every policy is written in plain language, professionally designed, and includes inline guidance on the specific legislative requirements in each jurisdiction. Start with this bundle and add the Ethics & Governance Kit and People & Wellbeing Kit as the business grows.
What's included
– Code of Conduct
– Confidentiality Policy & NDA
– Acceptable Use Policy
– Data Protection Policy
– Health & Safety Policy
– Equal Opportunities Policy
– 6 documents total
FAQs
Q Which six policies are in the Startup Policy Foundation and why these six?
The six policies are: Code of Conduct, Confidentiality Policy & NDA, Acceptable Use Policy, Data Protection Policy, Health & Safety Policy, and Equal Opportunities & Anti-Discrimination Policy. These are the six that every employer needs in place before they need any others — they cover the baseline legal obligations (data protection, health and safety, equal opportunities), the commercial protections (confidentiality and IP), the operational infrastructure (acceptable use of systems and devices), and the cultural foundation (conduct standards). Investors, enterprise customers, and employment regulators all expect to see these in place. They are the foundation that every other policy builds on.
Q At what stage should a startup have these policies in place?
Before your tenth employee, ideally before your fifth. The practical reality is that most startups reach their first ten people through a period of intense focus on product and commercial growth, and HR documentation gets deferred. The risk that creates is real: a data breach without a data protection policy, a conduct incident without a code of conduct, or a health and safety issue without a safety statement each creates significant legal exposure. The Startup Policy Foundation is priced and structured so that the cost and effort of getting these in place is minimal relative to the risk of not having them.
Q Do I need a lawyer to implement these policies?
Not to put them in place initially. The policies are professionally drafted with inline jurisdiction guidance, so a founder or HR lead can implement them without specialist legal input. However, if you are in a regulated industry (health, finance, education), if you operate in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously, or if you have reason to believe an existing practice may not be compliant, a review by employment counsel in the applicable jurisdiction is recommended before relying on the policies in a formal setting. The policies provide the documented framework; counsel provides the jurisdiction-specific assurance.
Q Is this bundle the right starting point if I also need policies like remote working and parental leave?
The Startup Policy Foundation covers the six core policies that every employer needs first. The People & Wellbeing Kit covers the next layer — Mental Health, Parental Leave & Flexible Working, Remote & Hybrid Working, Expenses, Share Option & Equity, and Pay Transparency. The Ethics & Governance Kit covers the governance layer — Anti-Bribery, Conflicts of Interest, Whistleblowing, Social Media, Inventions & IP, and AI Usage. The three kits are designed to be purchased together or over time as the business grows. The Full Policy Library bundles all nineteen policies in one purchase at a saving of $57 versus the three kits separately.
