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HR Policy Guidebook Template

The following template has been created to act as a guideline for creating a human resources policy guidebook for a game development studio. This is not intended to be legal advice. Please refer to your local laws and legislation regarding what information may be required to be provided to your employees and for specific requirements of various procedures and policies.

[Company Name and Logo]

Human Resource Policy Guidebook

[Date last updated]

Table of Contents

Welcome

This section should welcome new employees and contractors to your organization, talk about your company values, and explain the purpose of the manual.

Our Mission

Explain what the mission and goals of your company are.

Our Values

Explain the values that guide the way you operate as an organization and that you embrace as individuals. You can review the IGDA’s core values here.

Company History

Detail the past of your company, emphasizing points of pride and examples of upholding your mission and values.

Working at [Company]

This section consists of information about the general customs and practices of your business.

Office

Detail the location of your office and any notable details about it, such as access, parking restrictions, noise level expectations, or other unique qualities.

Dress Code

Note any dress code policies you have within this section. Be sure to note if there are any variations between in-office dress code and dress code for attending company events and business meetings with external partners.

Working Hours

Clearly state the standard working hours of your company and any flexibility they have based on teams, role, working from home, and other factors.

Meal and Rest Periods

Describe the meal and break periods supported by your company. Ensure these follow the requirements of your local laws.

Payroll

Summarize how payroll works, including standard pay cycles and what happens in the situation when a pay day falls on a weekend or holiday.

Moonlighting

Detail any standard policies you have allowing or disallowing employees from working a secondary job, including the process to get such work approved.

Personal Performance

This section should enlighten your employees about how they are reviewed and the types of corrective action that can be taken. Setting these standards and processes help ensure that they are in place and understood before they ever need to be implemented. Keep these standards in mind while creating job descriptions.

Performance Review Policy

Note your performance review policy standards, including who is involved in the process, how often they happen, general expectations for growth, and any standard criteria for raises and promotions. If you have a position rubric or set salary ranges, you can list them here.

Performance Improvement Procedure

Describe the procedure for how a manager brings up recurring performance issues and goals with an employee who needs to show improvements in their work or behavior. Noting that this plan is intended to help the employee understand and improve on issues may reduce the stress of anyone who is put under such a procedure.

Separation of Employment

Explain the desired approach for employees who decide to end their employment at your company, including notice timeline, exit interviews, and other offboarding processes.

Termination

Explain the handling of an employee’s termination, including if they will be immediately escorted off of campus or other standard procedures.

Tools, Property, and Reimbursements

Confidentiality and Proprietary Information

Discuss your non-disclosure agreement (NDA) policies, including the deletion of information on private devices upon departure from the company.

Computers, Software, and Devices

Outline your policies on appropriate use of company computers, software, and devices, including access to the Internet. Be sure to clearly state that no illegal activities are permitted on company devices and internet, including the torrenting of copyrighted material.

Using Original Property

Explain your policies for approval to use assets and software created by external companies. Clearly state that you do not approve of using copyrighted work for any projects within the company that does not have explicit approval.

Reimbursements

Outline your reimbursement policy and procedure for travel, personal cell phone use, and other expenses. You should note limits on certain types of purchases and if travel meals are stipended or reimbursed.

Employee Files and Records

Describe your company’s standards for keeping and sharing employee files and records, and how that information can be requested or reviewed by the employee.

Safe Working Environment

This section should detail all of the efforts and expectations required to maintain a safe working environment.

Code of Conduct / Code of Ethics

Explain the standards of workplace conduct expected by your employees, including the prohibition of sexism, racism, and other types of discrimination. You may also want to state your policy on gifts, conflicts of interest, and other aspects important to maintaining integrity in the workplace.

Injury and Illness Prevention

Detail where to find the policies and procedures to prevent injury and illness in the workplace, or, if they are succinct enough, include them fully in this section. Consider mental health impacts and strategies of reviewing or interacting with particularly toxic content or users. Parts of this policy may be under the Health and Wellness section.

Harassment Prevention

Detail your discrimination, sexual harassment, and harassment policies, including defintion of these negative behaviors and potential reprecussions.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Policies

Define inappropriate use of intoxicating substances, such as during work hours, and company policies for smoking, vaping, and use of other substances on company property. Some companies choose to outright ban alcohol and smoking on their premises, while others define times or locations where such behavior is appropriate.

Weapons Policies

If you wish to disallow normally legal weapons within your company, such as firearms within the US, note those restrictions in this section.

Social Media and Public Representation

Describe your social media standards, such as recommendations on engaging (or not engaging) with players, any studio code of ethics that apply to public statements, and how to escalate harassment and inquiry issues internally.

Workplace Relations

Detail any standards or restrictions you have on workplace romantic relationships, including romantic relationships between various report levels within the company. It is inadvisable to permit relations between an employee and their direct report. You may also want to detail the range of acceptable public displays of affection within your office, and how they

Reporting

This section covers important reporting procedures and standards, so your employees will be aware of what channels they can use to escalate issues and concerns.

Reporting an Injury

Detail how to report and treat a workplace injury.

Reporting Conduct and Workplace Violations

Provide a breakdown of how employees should report harassment, misconduct, and other workplace violations. This should include the process of reporting subordinates, superiors, and peers, and detail how these reports will be processed, including how much information they will receive about the investigation and final results.

Employee Complaint Procedure

Explain how employees can bring up their disagreements with workplace rules, practices, and procedures, and how those will be reviewed and addressed.

Workplace Investigations

Explain the process of workplace investigations and how employees need to cooperate during them to ensure the safety of everyone. Note what can be included and excluded from these investigations.

Recruiting

Recruiting Procedure

Note the ways that employees can refer contacts for hire at the company. Also state any compensation for successful hires of referrals.

Family Members

Outline the company policy for hiring family members, such as if they are restricted from working in direct supervisory positions with the employee.

Health and Wellness

Health Insurance

Note how employees can get information about their health insurance, and the company policy on who qualifies for health insurance, including alternative family members.

Describe the paid time off accrual and use procedures, such as how to request paid time off and if there is separate vacation and sick leave.

Company Holidays

Cover the holiday observed by the company and any additional compensation available to those who have to work these observed holidays. Note how to request time off and when it can be declined.

Family Leave

Describe maternity and paternity leave plans, as well as the process for taking time off for bereavement or to care for sick family members.

Parental Support

Detail support being provided for parents at your company, including breastfeeding and pumping accommodations, childcare services, return to work support, and flexible working arrangements.

Leave of Absence

If your company allows for a leave of absence in certain circumstances, note that as an option and the process required for requesting a leave of absence.

(Additional Policies)

Many companies offer a range of policies to support the health and wellness of their employees. Add additional sections here to cover all of the policies your company offers. Be sure to refer to your local laws to determine what policies are required as some countries require flexible working arrangement options and other policies.  

Policy Rights and Declaration

Reserve the rights for your company to update and modify these policies at any time, and how you will inform current employees of the changes. Note that in any circumstance of conflict between the guidelines in this manual and laws, the law should be abided and that you will work to update the policies to correct any such conflicts.

Employee Declaration

I have read and understand the contents of this manual along with the above policies and I agree to the terms of conditions of these documents.

Employee Name:

Employee Signature:

Date: