Updated July 2026
Texas Employee Handbook Template
Free Texas employee handbook template below, all 17 sections, updated for 2026. Download the Word file, or let us build a custom one for your business in 3 minutes.
This Texas employee handbook template is free, complete, and ready to download, no email required. All 17 sections a Texas business needs, with the state rules already written in: final pay deadlines, at-will language, the parking-lot gun law, and what Texas does and doesn't require. Fill in the yellow blanks and it's yours.
Word format · 18 pages · 6,400+ words of complete policies · Updated July 2026
What's in the free template
This is not an outline. Every policy is fully written, ready to hand to employees once you fill in your company details. Every section a Texas handbook needs, in plain English:
Welcome & at-will notice · Company overview · Employment basics · Schedules & breaks · Pay & payroll · Benefits & workers' comp · Time off & leave · Code of conduct · Anti-harassment · Safety & weapons policy · Technology · Confidentiality · Discipline & termination · Reviews · Training · Leaving the company · Signed acknowledgment page.
Each Texas rule is flagged with a “TEXAS RULE” callout so you know which parts are law and which parts are your choice.
Texas employee handbook requirements (2026)
Texas doesn't require you to have a handbook. But if you have employees, these rules apply whether you write them down or not, and a handbook is your proof you told people.
| Rule | What Texas says |
|---|---|
| At-will employment | You or the employee can end the job at any time, for any lawful reason |
| Final paycheck | Within 6 calendar days if fired. Next regular payday if they quit |
| Meal & rest breaks | Not required for adults. Your policy is your choice |
| Paid sick leave | No state mandate. City ordinances were struck down in court |
| Sexual harassment | Applies to every employer with even 1 employee. Supervisors can be personally liable |
| Voting leave | Paid time to vote if the employee has no 2 free hours while polls are open |
| Jury duty | Can't fire or punish jurors. Pay not required |
| Workers' comp | Optional in Texas, the only state. Non-subscribers must notify employees in writing |
| Guns in parking lot | License-to-carry holders may keep firearms locked in their cars. You can still ban guns inside |
| Day of rest | Retail employees get 1 day off in 7 |
The template is free. The blanks are the work.
The template has 40+ yellow blanks: your PTO policy, your pay schedule, your discipline steps, your industry rules. Getting those right takes an afternoon, and a mistake in your PTO payout language costs real money at separation time.
Handbook Generator fills every blank for you. Answer 15 simple questions, and in about 3 minutes you get all 17 sections written for your business, your industry, and Texas law. $97, once.
Here's what those blanks look like filled in:
Browse more sample pages →
Built for Small Businesses in Every US Industry
Frequently asked questions
Is an employee handbook required in Texas?
No law requires one. But every employer with staff already has to follow the rules above. A handbook proves you communicated them, which is your first defense in a dispute.
Is my business too small to need a handbook?
Texas sexual harassment law applies from your very first employee, and so does the Payday Law. If you have one employee, a handbook already earns its keep.
What must a Texas employee handbook include?
At minimum: an at-will statement, EEO and anti-harassment policy, pay and final-pay terms, your PTO rules in writing, and a signed acknowledgment page. The free template covers all of it.
Can I just write my own?
Yes, that's what the free download is for. Most owners hit a wall at the state-law details. That's the part our generator does for you.
Create Your Texas Handbook for $97
15 questions. 3 minutes. Every blank filled in for your business.
Create Your Texas Handbook →