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Employee Handbook Compliance Guide

Provided by Catapult HR — Essential policies and compliance requirements for your employee handbook.

Required Federal Policies

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) statement
Anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policy
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) notice
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation process
COBRA continuation coverage notice
USERRA military leave rights
Whistleblower and retaliation protections
At-will employment disclaimer (if applicable)

State-Specific Requirements

State-mandated paid sick leave policies (varies by state)
State family and medical leave laws (CA, NY, WA, NJ, etc.)
Pay transparency and salary history ban disclosures
Meal and rest break requirements
State-specific anti-discrimination protected classes
Final paycheck timing requirements
Recreational and medical marijuana accommodations

Recommended Best-Practice Policies

Code of conduct and workplace behavior expectations
Remote work and hybrid work policy
Social media and electronic communications policy
Drug and alcohol policy
Workplace violence prevention policy
Data privacy and confidentiality policy
Progressive discipline and grievance procedures
PTO, vacation, and holiday schedule

Annual Review & Version Control

Review handbook annually (minimum) or when laws change
Track version number, effective date, and revision history
Obtain legal review before publishing updates
Distribute updated handbook to all employees and collect signed acknowledgments
Maintain archive of prior versions for at least 7 years
Review state-specific sections whenever expanding to new jurisdictions

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