Adam Frankel
General Counsel · Technology & AI
15+ years as General Counsel to technology, cloud & AI companies
Employee Handbook (UK)
Updated 5 Aug 2026
This template is a comprehensive employee handbook designed for organizations operating in England and Wales. It covers essential workplace policies including disciplinary and grievance procedures, equality and diversity, health and safety, data protection, and the use of AI tools. The document is structured to be non-contractual, allowing for easier updates as UK employment laws evolve.
EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK
England and Wales
Note: This Handbook is a suite of workplace policies, not an employment contract. Pay, notice, benefits and restrictive covenants belong in the contract of employment and the written statement of particulars, and must not be repeated here. It is written for staff who work in England and Wales. If you have staff in Scotland or Northern Ireland, Part 2.2 explains why it does not cover them as it stands. Each Part is drafted to stand alone so that any single policy can be extracted and published on its own: Part 1.6 sets out what has to travel with it. Complete every yellow field, choose one Option in each Option block and delete the others, then complete Schedule 1 and Schedule 2. Parts 17 to 19 are included only where the trigger in the note at the head of each of those Parts applies to your organisation. Delete any Part that does not.
PART 1. ABOUT THIS HANDBOOK
1.1 Purpose. This Handbook sets out how [full legal name of the employer] (the "Company", "we" or "us") expects work to be carried out, and the procedures we follow when questions of conduct, performance, health, safety or fairness arise. It applies to work carried out in England and Wales.
1.2 Status. This Handbook is not contractual. Nothing in it forms part of any contract of employment or engagement, and nothing in it creates a contractual entitlement to any payment, benefit or procedure. It does bind you as a set of workplace rules: failure to follow it may be dealt with under Part 5. Where this Handbook and your contract of employment conflict, your contract prevails.
Note: Leaving contractual status undeclared is a governance failure, because you cannot manage change control or enforceability expectations without it. Non-contractual is the right default and is the position drafted above. If a specific policy is intended to be contractual, say so expressly in that policy and give it a controlled amendment mechanism. Do not leave the question open. The second risk this paragraph manages is accidental incorporation: a handbook that promises rigid procedures, fixed benefit amounts or guaranteed outcomes can be read as contractual whatever the status clause says, so keep the promises here at the level of process.
1.3 Defined terms used throughout this Handbook.
"Company" means [full legal name of the employer].
"Handbook" means this document and every Part and Schedule in it, at the version identified in Schedule 1.
"Manager" means the person to whom you report, or in their absence the next most senior person available to you.
"Working Day" means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday in England and Wales.
"Worker" means anyone who performs work for the Company personally, whether as an employee, a worker, an agency worker or a contractor, to the extent the relevant Part says it applies to them.
This is a preview. The full template is free on GitLaw.
England & Wales note
This version is drafted for England & Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland differ on some points — for example notice periods and tribunal procedure. Tell GitLaw where you hire and it adjusts the draft.
Jurisdiction
England & Wales
Document info
GitLaw document. Document created on Wed Aug 5th, 2026. Last updated on Wed Aug 5th, 2026.
This document is public
Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (Attribution).
Come to agreements faster
Write, review, negotiate, and manage legal contracts
Related documents
FeaturedEngland & Wales
Grievance Appeal Letter (UK) (Acas)
This letter helps a worker formally appeal an employer's decision regarding a recent grievance. It includes sections for detailing reasons for the appeal, such as procedural errors or new evidence, and allows the worker to request a specific resolution and a companion for the appeal meeting.
Updated 13 Aug 2026
FeaturedEngland & Wales
Reasonable Adjustment Request (UK) (Acas)
This letter template helps employees formally request reasonable adjustments to their working conditions to better manage their health or disability. It includes sections to describe health impacts, propose specific changes like altered start times, and suggest ways to mitigate any impact on the business.
Updated 13 Aug 2026
England & Wales
Firefox Focus and Firefox Klar Privacy Notice by Mozilla
This privacy notice explains how a browser developer processes technical, interaction, and browsing data. It details user rights under data protection laws and provides options for managing data collection and search preferences.
Updated 13 Aug 2026
Portugal
Consultancy Agreement (Portugal) by Seedsummit
This consultancy agreement establishes a service-based relationship for independent advisors in Portugal. It distinguishes the consultant role from that of an employee, specifying that no employment contract is formed under Portuguese law.
Updated 13 Aug 2026
US
Security Policies Github Sirt Description Rfc 2350 (GitHub)
This document provides a standardized description of a Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) following the RFC 2350 protocol. It details contact methods, the team's mission and authority, and specific procedures for handling security incidents.
Updated 13 Aug 2026
US
Security Policies Coordinated Disclosure Of Security Vulnerabilities (GitHub)
This policy establishes a framework for security researchers to find and report vulnerabilities in a company's software. It introduces a bug bounty program that offers financial rewards for coordinated disclosure and provides links to specific legal safe harbor terms.
Updated 13 Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
A template isn't binding on its own - like any contract, it becomes binding once it's properly completed and signed. Templates in our curated library are professionally drafted for US or UK law; review any template before you sign it.
Yes. Chat with GitLaw to edit any section, or make changes directly in the editor.
Yes, read about team plans here.
Describe what you need in the chat and GitLaw will draft it for you.
Templates in our curated library are professionally drafted for US or UK law. The wider library comes from the GitLaw community and public sources - a solid starting point, but check any template fits your situation before you rely on it.
Mostly US and UK law. Some templates use general commercial terms that work across jurisdictions, and many note which law they're written for.
It depends on the situation. Templates work well for routine business agreements. For anything involving significant money, complex IP, employment, or areas you're unsure about, it's worth getting professional advice before you sign. GitLaw provides templates and tools, not legal advice.
Open any template in GitLaw and describe the change you want in the chat — 'make clause 4 mutual' or 'add a 30-day notice period', for example. GitLaw drafts the revised language and shows it as a suggested edit. You accept, reject, or keep editing from there.
Yes. Upload a Word, PDF, or Markdown file and GitLaw will open it in the editor. You can review, edit, or chat with GitLaw about it the same way you would with any template from the library.
Trusted by 5,000+ businesses
From template to signed, in one place
Every template opens in an editor with an AI agent alongside it.
1
Open
Pick a template and open it. Nothing to download, and no credit card to start.
Free to open
2
Edit with AI
Describe your situation in chat and the agent adapts the wording, clause by clause.
Tracked changes you can review
3
Send and sign
Share it for negotiation, then collect signatures without leaving GitLaw.
eSign included
Built for your legal work,
with practicing lawyers
Trained on 5,500+ clauses and specialist areas of law. Built with a standards committee of independent lawyers.
Adam Frankel
General Counsel · Technology & AI
15+ years as General Counsel to technology, cloud & AI companies
Juliana Calil
Principal Counsel · Technology & Entertainment
20+ years in-house at Google, Intel, Disney and Looker
Adam Wardel
General Counsel, Data Privacy Officer & AI Advisor
12+ years leading legal & privacy for SaaS and AI companies
John Hoffman
Associate Director, Corporate Counsel · Life Sciences & Technology
20+ years in corporate counsel, incl. senior counsel at Certara
Richard Nohe
General Counsel · Telecom, Cloud & Data Centers
20+ years in-house, regional General Counsel at BT across 30+ countries
Joe Al-Khayat
General Counsel · Technology & High-Growth Companies
Cross-jurisdictional M&A and SaaS contracting across the UK, US & Australia
Joshua Woo
Technology, AI & Privacy Counsel · APAC
Former Goldman Sachs Executive Director for AI, cybersecurity & privacy in APAC
Sahil Verma
International Business & Investment Lawyer
13+ years in business law, investment law & dispute resolution
Matthew Willis
CRO & General Counsel · SaaS
Former President of the ACC's 2,200-attorney Chicago Chapter · JD + Kellogg MBA
Mayowa Ogunrinola
Legal Consultant · Fintech & AI Compliance
Regulatory strategy, AI governance & data protection for fintech and AI
Steven J. Shanker
Partner and Chair of Corporate and Employment Law
25+ years as a corporate & employment attorney in New York
Rebecca Babbage
Legal Counsel · Financial Services, Corporate & Governance
UK-qualified solicitor working in-house with regulated entities in financial services
Ready to get started?
No sales calls, no credit card. Just chat with GitLaw.
GitLaw provides templates and tools, not legal advice. Templates are a starting point, not a substitute for advice on your situation - for anything significant, speak to a qualified lawyer.