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An employee handbook that reads like a legal document is not read. This handbook is written for the people who actually work in tech — direct, clear, and covering the policies they actually need to understand.
Covers: welcome and company values, employment relationship and at-will employment, hiring and onboarding, compensation and benefits, working time and time off (including PTO, sick leave, and state-specific requirements), performance expectations, conduct standards, anti-harassment and discrimination, remote and hybrid working, termination, and employee rights. Written for a US tech company context with state law awareness.
FAQS
Q Why does a tech company need a different handbook?
Tech companies have specific characteristics generic handbooks do not address: distributed and remote workforces, equity compensation programs, unlimited PTO policies, asynchronous communication norms, and a talent market that expects sophisticated people practices. This handbook is written for the tech workforce — direct, specific, and covering the policies tech employees actually care about.
Q Does this handbook address equity compensation?
Yes — with a section covering the existence of an equity program, what employees should expect in terms of vesting and cliff periods, and where to find their individual grant details. It cross-references the Share Option & Equity Policy for the full framework. This is one of the sections most frequently missing from generic US handbooks.
Q Does it address state-specific requirements?
The handbook is a federal-level baseline with awareness of the most significant state variations — California, New York, and Washington in particular. For companies with California employees, a state-specific addendum covering CCPA, CFRA, California Paid Sick Leave, and other California-specific requirements is recommended. The guide identifies where California diverges most significantly.
Q Is this suitable for a startup that has not yet built out all its people processes?
Yes. Sections referencing processes not yet in place can be noted as 'to be developed' without invalidating the handbook. The most important function of a handbook in the early stage is communicating the employment relationship, conduct standards, and legal rights clearly — which this handbook does from day one.
An employee handbook that reads like a legal document is not read. This handbook is written for the people who actually work in tech — direct, clear, and covering the policies they actually need to understand.
Covers: welcome and company values, employment relationship and at-will employment, hiring and onboarding, compensation and benefits, working time and time off (including PTO, sick leave, and state-specific requirements), performance expectations, conduct standards, anti-harassment and discrimination, remote and hybrid working, termination, and employee rights. Written for a US tech company context with state law awareness.
FAQS
Q Why does a tech company need a different handbook?
Tech companies have specific characteristics generic handbooks do not address: distributed and remote workforces, equity compensation programs, unlimited PTO policies, asynchronous communication norms, and a talent market that expects sophisticated people practices. This handbook is written for the tech workforce — direct, specific, and covering the policies tech employees actually care about.
Q Does this handbook address equity compensation?
Yes — with a section covering the existence of an equity program, what employees should expect in terms of vesting and cliff periods, and where to find their individual grant details. It cross-references the Share Option & Equity Policy for the full framework. This is one of the sections most frequently missing from generic US handbooks.
Q Does it address state-specific requirements?
The handbook is a federal-level baseline with awareness of the most significant state variations — California, New York, and Washington in particular. For companies with California employees, a state-specific addendum covering CCPA, CFRA, California Paid Sick Leave, and other California-specific requirements is recommended. The guide identifies where California diverges most significantly.
Q Is this suitable for a startup that has not yet built out all its people processes?
Yes. Sections referencing processes not yet in place can be noted as 'to be developed' without invalidating the handbook. The most important function of a handbook in the early stage is communicating the employment relationship, conduct standards, and legal rights clearly — which this handbook does from day one.
