Employee handbooks should be a staple to any business, large or a small, and can act as a valuable communication tool for both employers and employees. Employee handbooks are one of the best ways for an employer to communicate to its employees that it complies with all federal, state and local laws regulating the workplace.
One of the greatest benefits that an employee handbook can provide is the legal protections that can be secured by properly drafted and disseminated policies. Indeed, the first thing plaintiffs’ counsel usually request in an employment-related lawsuit is the employer’s handbook.
Clear, concise policies also serve as a guide for management and human resources personnel so that company policies are enforced uniformly throughout the workforce. This reduces the risk of ad hoc decisions about how to enforce unwritten policies — decisions that can open an employer up to discrimination claims.
California employment law changes every year, and handbooks that go stale become a liability rather than a protection.
We work with employers of all sizes and across industries to create handbooks tailored to the particular needs of their business. The policies that should be included in a handbook will vary depending on the industry, the number of employees, and the city or cities you operate in. We can provide a customizable handbook that can be modified to fit the needs of your business, or we can work with you to bring your existing handbook current.
Human Resources Policies, Agreements and Forms:
We work with employers to customize personnel policies, agreements and forms to help them with the administration of their day to day human resources functions and to address situations that might arise throughout the employment relationship, including:
- Job applications
- Offer letters and employment agreements
- AI workplace policies
- Arbitration agreements
- Background check authorization forms and disclosures
- Equal Employment Opportunity policies
- Policies against harassment and discrimination
- Adverse action notice/warnings
- Performance improvement plans
- Meal and rest period policies
- Meal period waivers
- On-duty meal period agreements
- Confidentiality agreements and proprietary rights agreements (NDAs)
- Drug testing policies
- Independent contractor agreements
- Leave documents
- Reimbursement policies and forms
- Severance agreements and releases of claims
- Termination documents
We offer customizable templates that can be modified to fit the particular needs of your business, or we can work with you to revise your already existing policies and forms.
Who We Work With
We work with companies of all sizes, but we have particular experience advising businesses in the 10 to 50 employee range — companies that are past the point of managing HR informally, but not yet at the size where a full in-house legal or HR department makes sense. If that describes your business, you’re exactly the kind of client we built this practice to serve. We serve a wide range of clients, from startups to established companies, across a wide range of industries, including technology, media, law, entertainment, finance, real estate, manufacturing, construction, and hospitality.
We serve clients throughout California, including those in Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco and the East Bay Area. We also service clients whose headquarters are overseas or out of state, but have operations in California.
How We Bill
Most handbook and policy engagements are billed hourly. For well-defined projects — a single handbook, a specific agreement, or a set of standard forms — we’re also able to offer flat-fee pricing, so you know the cost upfront before we begin. Tell us what you need and we’ll recommend the arrangement that makes sense for the project.
