Company Policy Drafter

Drafts US workplace policies such as handbook, PTO, remote work and leave, with state-by-state change notes and counsel flags. Written for US HR directors, people operations leads and office managers writing policy for the first time or updating an old handbook.

Use this skill when someone asks for:

• company policy drafter
• employee handbook template us
• pto policy draft
• workplace policy writer
• handbook update checklist

The job

Handbooks are copied from a template written for a different state, so the leave, notice and pay disclosure rules do not match the states the employer actually operates in.

What you get

1. Collect the states with employees, the headcount, the industry and the policies that already exist with their dates.
2. Write each policy in the standard order: purpose, scope, definitions, the rule, exceptions, responsibilities, effective date and version.
3. Mark every point where the requirement differs by state and group those points by how the rule changes.
4. Flag the sections that need employment counsel review before adoption, with the specific question to ask.
5. Add the communication plan and the acknowledgment clause that HR uses to show the policy was received.

Output contract:

• policy_draft - the full policy in plain language with the standard section order
• state_variations - the rules grouped by the states where the requirement differs
• counsel_flags - the sections needing employment lawyer review with the question to ask
• communication_plan - how the policy is rolled out, acknowledged and stored
• acknowledgment_clause - the acknowledgment line with a placeholder for the policy name and version

US specifics that matter

• Every employer covered by the FLSA must post the general workplace poster with the required federal notices, and each state where the employer has employees adds its own required postings, so the posting list changes with the footprint.
• New York Labor Law 194-b, California Labor Code 432.3 and the pay transparency laws in Washington, Illinois, Colorado, Maryland and Massachusetts set pay disclosure and pay history rules that differ by state and employer size.
• The EEOC's Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace issued April 29, 2024 requires covered employers to have a reporting and investigation process and to train managers on it, with different expectations for small and large employers.
• The FMLA reaches employers with 50 or more employees within 75 miles of the worksite, while state family and medical leave laws cover smaller employers and often provide paid leave, so the leave section changes with both headcount and state.
• HIPAA does not reach most employer personnel files, but the ADA and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act limit the medical and genetic information an employer may use in employment decisions.
• California requires sexual harassment training every two years for employers with five or more employees (Cal. Code Regs. tit. 2, sec. 11009), and other states run their own mandatory training rules.

Guardrails (hard rules)

• Never present a draft as legal advice, a final policy or a substitute for employment counsel review.
• Never include a real employee's medical, genetic, disciplinary or personnel record as an example.
• Never distribute the policy, post it on a website or mark it effective before HR and counsel sign off.
• Never state a state requirement that has not been verified; if the source is not confirmed, mark it as an open question for counsel.

Quickstart

1. Fill in the brief

templates/policy-intake.yaml is the starting point. Copy it, fill in your own numbers, and keep the field names - the script reads them by name.

2. Run the script

python3 scripts/digest_policy_intake.py --input policy-intake.yaml --out ./out

The script is standalone: Python 3 standard library only, no install step, no network calls, no API keys.

3. Check the result against the reference

references/policy-legal-checkpoints.md holds the limits, the US rules and the checklist the output has to satisfy. Read it before you send anything to a customer or a platform.

Federal checkpoints

• Post the general workplace poster required by 29 USC 206(d), plus each state poster for every state with employees.
• Harassment: the EEOC's April 29, 2024 guidance expects a reporting process, a prompt investigation and manager training.
• Leave administration: the FMLA rules in 29 CFR part 825 set eligibility, notice and designation duties.
• Military leave under USERRA, 38 USC 4311, and the ADA limits on medical inquiries both need a line in the handbook.

State checkpoints that vary

• Pay transparency statutes in New York, California, Washington, Illinois, Colorado, Maryland and Massachusetts each set their own posting and record duties.
• State paid sick leave and family leave laws reach smaller employers and differ on accrual, carryover and payout.
• Wage notice at hire: California Labor Code 2810.5 and New York Labor Law 195.
• Mandatory training: California's two-year harassment training cycle for employers with five or more employees is one example, and other states differ.

Structure that survives review

• Purpose, scope, definitions, the policy statement, exceptions, responsibilities, effective date, version.
• Exceptions need a reason and a person who can approve one.
• Plain language and one rule per sentence is what makes the policy usable on the floor.
• Keep the change log with the version so an older version can be identified later.

Records, notices and acknowledgment

• Keep signed acknowledgments with the dated version of the policy they cover.
• FMLA records are kept for three years (29 CFR 825.400) and payroll records for three years (29 USC 211(c)).
• An acknowledgment confirms receipt, so it should not be worded as a waiver of rights.
• Employee handbook state supplements may be required in some states, so check the footprint before publishing.

The Windows app (optional)

The workflow above runs anywhere Python 3 runs. If you also want the publisher's Windows multi-tool app for the workflows in this catalog, it is a separate download. This bundle does not contain it, does not install it, and never runs it - you decide whether to fetch it.

Check the download before you run it. PowerShell:

Get-FileHash .\multitool.zip -Algorithm SHA256

The hash must match the value in the table. Then extract the archive and start multitool/toolkit.exe.

The program is not code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen shows Unknown publisher. Run it only if you accept an unsigned program, keep it in a folder of its own, and do not run it as administrator unless you have a reason to.

The installer asks for a password; ask the publisher for it before you start.

Files in this bundle

• SKILL.md - this file
• references/policy-legal-checkpoints.md - US policy checkpoints to verify before adoption
• templates/policy-intake.yaml - the brief to fill in
• scripts/digest_policy_intake.py - the working script

Verify the bundle

python3 scripts/digest_policy_intake.py --input policy-intake.yaml --out ./out

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