Better training for happier employees
Use this template to help establish restaurant employee rules and guidelines and build a custom restaurant employee handbook. It's where your staff will go to learn all of the HR policies for your restaurant, and much more.
What's in this employee handbook template?
A downloadable, customizable restaurant employee handbook template
Instructions on how to write your restaurant employee handbook template
A section to state your restaurant’s core values and mission statement
A section to explain employee presentation and workplace behavior
A section to cover your restaurant's procedures
A section to highlight your restaurant's pay and employee benefits
A section to reinforce your restaurant’s policy on harassment
Restaurant employee management
Restaurateurs frequently cite staff training, hiring, and retention as the biggest challenge to their success. The annual restaurant employee turnover rate reached an all-time high of 75% in early 2019, and staffing issues have only persisted in the years since, especially thanks to the COVID-19 crisis. That's why clarity, guidance, and positivity in the onboarding process are crucial to well-informed and productive restaurant staff.
Once your staff is onboarded, the learning isn't done — check out our restaurant training manual template that helps you keep all your staff trained on everything they need to know while working at your restaurant.
How do you write a restaurant employee handbook?
With this free template, we've made the task of writing your restaurant employee handbook as easy as filling in the blanks. Just enter your restaurant-specific policies in the highlighted areas, and you'll be good to go.
What to include in a restaurant employee handbook?
An employee handbook at a restaurant is a crucial piece of the employee onboarding process. In your handbook, as you'll see in the restaurant employee sample here, you'll want to include your mission and values, your policies on everything from vacation time to harassment, your restaurant employee rules and expectations, information about employee pay and benefits, and information about employee conduct.
After downloading the free Restaurant Employee Handbook Template, be sure to check out our other resources below.
Frequently Asked Question
Q: What is a restaurant employee handbook template?
A: It's a foundational document that communicates your restaurant's policies s to every employee. It's where your staff will go to learn all of the HR policies for your restaurant, and much more.
Q: What policies should a restaurant employee handbook cover?
A: At minimum, cover attendance and scheduling, dress code, tip policy, harassment and safety policies, disciplinary procedures, and at-will employment language.
Q: Is this employee handbook template legally compliant?
A: The template provides a starting structure, but employment law varies by state and locality, so have a local employment attorney review your final handbook before distributing it.
Q: How do I customize the handbook for my restaurant's state requirements?
A:.As you’re filling out each section, there are prompts and directions in blue italics below each section header. Your writing starts in the regular text below the prompts. Simply delete “[Start Here]” and begin writing. Review your local laws to fill out this template as best you can.
Q: What format is the employee handbook template available in?
A: Your free download includes both a Word Doc and a PDF for you to edit as you choose.
Q: How often should I update my restaurant employee handbook?
A: Review it annually and any time employment laws change, or you introduce new policies.
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