Template · UK · .docx
Employee handbook outline (UK SME)
A 14-section table of contents for the full handbook — joining, pay, working time, holiday and other leave, sickness, health and safety, conduct, grievance, equality, data and IT, confidentiality and IP, leaving, and the policy library.
Direct download. No email required. Last reviewed 2026-06-11 against gov.uk and Acas.
WagePerks does not provide legal advice. This template is a starting point only.
Before using it for an employee, review the wording with your solicitor or HR advisor and update
it for your specific role, industry and circumstances.
What this template covers
- Welcome / mission / structure
- Joining — induction, probation, right-to-work
- Pay and benefits (links the WagePerks portal where applicable)
- Working time and flexible working
- Holiday and other leave (statutory + parental + bereavement + dependants)
- Sickness absence (links the absence policy template)
- Health and safety (Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974)
- Conduct and discipline (Acas Code of Practice)
- Grievance and whistleblowing (Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998)
- Equality, diversity and inclusion (Equality Act 2010)
- Data protection and IT (UK GDPR + Data Protection Act 2018)
- Confidentiality and IP
- Leaving the company
- Policy library
What this template doesn't cover
- A finished handbook — each section needs to be drafted in your own voice for your team
- A contract — handbook provisions sit alongside contractual terms; some provisions may or may not be contractual
- A substitute for a proper EDI / safeguarding / whistleblowing policy where the sector requires more depth
- A static document — review at least annually and after any major legislative change
Sources behind this template
- Acas — Writing your employee handbook
- gov.uk — Employer responsibilities A to Z
- Equality Act 2010
- Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 — whistleblowing
- Modern Slavery Act 2015 — for the policy-library section
- Bribery Act 2010
Sources verified 2026-06-11. We re-verify quarterly.
How WagePerks fits
Use this template to draft the policy. Then store the signed final version inside the WagePerks document management module — with version history, e-signatures and read receipts — as part of the £4.50 per employee per month all-in price. White-label included. Rolling monthly.