Overview
You start your Staff Handbook by reviewing HSDirect policy templates. You then decide:
Which policies to use as they are
Which policies you need to edit
Which policies to leave out
The system uses colour coding:
Blue button: HSDirect template (original policy)
Orange button: Your edited version
Step 1: Open the Handbooks area
Go to Handbooks from the sidebar.
You will see a list of policy templates, each with buttons to preview, edit, or add them.
Step 2: Preview policy templates
Next to each policy, click the PDF preview button.
Read the full policy carefully.
Decide if the policy:
Fits your business as written, or
Needs changes to reflect your practices
Tip:
Keep a list of any sections you are unsure about. You can check these with the Employment Law team before you publish your handbook.
Step 3: Add policies that don’t need changes
If a policy is suitable as written:
Click the Add button next to the policy.
The system will queue it for inclusion in your handbook.
You can repeat this for all policies you want to include without edits.
Step 4: Create and edit your own version of a policy
If a policy needs changes:
Click the Template button next to the policy.
The system creates an editable copy of the template.
Make your changes in the editor:
Update wording to reflect your processes
Add or remove sections as needed (within legal guidance)
Click Save.
After saving:
Your edited version appears at the top of the list with an orange button.
The original HS Direct template stays in the list with a blue button and is not changed.
Step 5: Confirm which version you will use
To avoid confusion:
Use the orange button version when you want to include your edited policy.
Ignore the blue button version if you no longer want the original template.
Important note:
Only the versions you later add to your handbook will appear in the final Staff Handbook.