Restaurant Employee Handbook Template

A ready-to-edit employee handbook for restaurants and bars, with policies, acknowledgment forms and a Spanish version, so you stop writing policies from scratch.

What is inside

• 29 policies in five parts, written in plain English
• Restaurant-specific policies for tip pools, side work, comps and voids, walkouts, ID checks and shift meals
• A one-line summary at the top of every policy
• Owner notes that flag state-specific decisions
• Acknowledgment and HR forms, with Spanish versions
• Word and Google Docs formats

Who it is for

Restaurants, bars and cafes without a handbook, or with one that no longer fits.

How it works

Edit in Word or Google Docs and review with employment counsel for your state before rollout.

A look inside

The five parts

• Welcome and Culture. About the handbook, about your restaurant, and your mission, values and service standards.
• Your Employment. Employment basics, hiring and the introductory period, attendance and shift swaps, timekeeping and overtime, tips and service charges, meal and rest breaks, time off and benefits.
• Standards on the Floor. Code of conduct, guest service and recovery, dress code and hygiene, food safety, responsible alcohol service, cash handling with comps and voids, side work, and shift meals and discounts.
• Safety and Respect. Anti harassment and retaliation, a drug and alcohol free workplace, injuries and emergencies, employees under 18, and personal relationships and conflicts of interest.
• Communication, Growth and Leaving. Phones and social media, confidentiality, open door and problem solving, performance reviews, and discipline and separation.

How a policy is laid out

Every policy opens with an In Short line your staff can read in ten seconds. The tip policy, for example, starts by saying tips belong to the staff who earn them and managers never keep pooled tips. Then the detail follows under plain headings.

Where you have a choice to make, a gold Owner Note sits right in the text. In the tip policy one note asks you to choose between a tip out model and a tip pool, and another explains the federal tip credit limits and lists the states that do not allow a tip credit. You choose, delete the option you are not using, then delete the note. There are more than 30 of these, so nothing that depends on your state gets missed.

The forms at the back

A one page quick reference to post in the staff area, then ten forms: acknowledgment of receipt, responsible alcohol service acknowledgment, tip policy and tip credit notice, anti harassment acknowledgment, concern or complaint form, injury and incident report, uniform and equipment record, emergency contacts, a new hire first week checklist and a revision log. Three of them also come in Spanish.

Is this the right tool?

Pick this one if you need the handbook itself. If you also need job descriptions and hiring paperwork, the Restaurant HR Kit includes it. For procedures rather than policies, see the Restaurant SOP Manual. Our free employee handbook checklist shows what a handbook should cover before you buy anything.

Questions and answers

How long is it?
56 pages before you edit it. Most owners delete a few policies that do not apply, such as the section on employees under 18 if they never hire minors.

How long does setup take?
About an hour for a first pass. Find and replace fills in your restaurant name and state, then you work through the owner notes.

Is it written for my state?
It is written to federal law, with owner notes wherever states differ on wages, tips, breaks, sick leave, scheduling and final pay. A state and local law checklist comes with it. Have an employment attorney review your final version.

Can I delete a policy without breaking the document?
Yes. Every policy starts with its own heading, and the contents page updates in one click.

How do I get the file?
Checkout is through our Etsy shop and the files are ready to download right after purchase.