# people-ops templates

Copy-ready, fill-in material offloaded from `SKILL.md`. This is lookup/fill-in
content, not reasoning — adapt the bracketed `[...]` parts. Every legal item
below assumes **US at-will** unless you change it; confirm your jurisdiction
before sending (EU/UK and most countries are not at-will).

## Preboarding checklist (days before start)

Paperwork lives here, not on Day 1.

- [ ] Send offer paperwork + employment forms for e-signature (route mechanics to `../e-signature/SKILL.md`)
- [ ] I-9 Section 1 instructions (employee completes on/before Day 1)
- [ ] Tax/benefits enrollment via self-service portal
- [ ] Order equipment (laptop, peripherals, phone) — confirm delivery before start date
- [ ] Request account provisioning: email, SSO, chat, repos, project tool, calendar
- [ ] Assign a **buddy** (peer, not the manager); brief them on the role
- [ ] Manager drafts the first concrete Day-1 task and the 30/60/90 goals
- [ ] Add the new hire to the team calendar, on-call/rota exclusions, mailing lists
- [ ] Schedule the recurring **weekly 1:1** starting week one
- [ ] Welcome note + Day-1 logistics (where/when, dress, lunch plan)

## Day-1 checklist (the person starts)

No form marathon. Access works, equipment is ready, people are introduced.

- [ ] Accounts live and tested (email, SSO, chat, repos) — verify *before* they arrive
- [ ] Equipment set up; can log in on first try
- [ ] Manager welcome + the first real task (not "settle in")
- [ ] Team intros + buddy introduced in person/call
- [ ] Tour of the docs: where the handbook, the wiki, the on-call live
- [ ] I-9 Section 1 confirmed complete; calendar I-9 Section 2 (employer, within 3 business days)
- [ ] E-Verify case if used (by the 3rd business day)
- [ ] Confirm the week-1 goals conversation is on the calendar

## 30/60/90 plan (manager + new-hire columns)

Framed learn → contribute → own. Fill the bracketed cells per role.

| Window | Theme | New hire does | Manager does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days 1–30 | **Learn** | Tools, product/codebase, team norms; ship one small thing | Day-1 task; week-1 goals talk; weekly 1:1; check buddy is working |
| Days 31–60 | **Contribute** | Owns a small recurring responsibility; gives process feedback | Stretch the scope; first written check-in; remove blockers |
| Days 61–90 | **Own** | Carries one deliverable end-to-end | 90-day review; confirm ramp; set next-quarter goals |

Success at 90 days = `[the one deliverable they now own]`.

## Minimum-viable handbook — section list + drafting note

The short list a small company actually needs. One line each.

1. **Equal opportunity / anti-harassment** — state the protected classes and the report channel; name who receives reports.
2. **Attendance + work hours** — core hours, time-off request flow, expected response norms.
3. **PTO + sick leave** — accrual or unlimited, how to request, carryover/cap; sick leave per local statute.
4. **Confidentiality** — what counts as confidential; survives employment; ties to the NDA in `../contracts/SKILL.md`.
5. **Technology / acceptable use** — approved devices, security baseline, corporate tools vs personal apps.
6. **Remote / hybrid** — privilege not right; dedicated workspace, secured company devices, core-hours availability.
7. **Disciplinary process** — describe it as **discretionary**, never a mandatory fixed ladder.
8. **Acknowledgment** — signed, dated, versioned; re-sign on material change.

## At-will + not-a-contract + acknowledgment boilerplate

> **Jurisdiction caveat:** US at-will only. Most countries are not at-will; in those
> jurisdictions this language is wrong and may be unenforceable. Have a licensed
> attorney review before use — you draft and flag, a lawyer signs off
> (`../contracts/SKILL.md`).

```text
At-will employment. Your employment with [Company] is at-will. Either you or
[Company] may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without
cause and with or without notice. No one other than [the CEO], in a signed
writing, may change the at-will nature of employment.

Not a contract. This handbook is a guide to current policies and benefits. It
is not a contract of employment and does not promise employment for any
specific period. [Company] may add to, change, or withdraw any policy at any
time, with notice where required by law.

Discipline. Where progressive discipline is described, it is at [Company]'s
discretion and any step may be skipped. Nothing here requires a fixed sequence
before termination.
```

```text
Acknowledgment (employee signs and returns)

I have received and read the [Company] Employee Handbook, version [X.Y], dated
[YYYY-MM-DD]. I understand my employment is at-will and that this handbook is
not a contract. I understand policies may change and that I may be asked to
re-acknowledge on material changes.

Name: __________________   Signature: __________________   Date: __________
```

## 1:1 agenda template (weekly, 15–30 min)

Coaching, not status. The report owns the agenda; you own showing up.

```text
1:1 — [name] — [date]
1. Wins since last time
2. Blockers / where you're stuck (manager removes blockers)
3. Growth — skills, scope, the thing you want next
4. Feedback both ways — for the report, and ask for feedback on yourself
5. Action items (owner + date)
```

## Quarterly review template

```text
Quarterly review — [name] — [Q# YYYY]
- Goals this quarter (2 objectives × 3–4 key results): status per KR
- What went well
- What to adjust
- Growth / development focus next quarter
- Next-quarter goals (set together)
- Compensation/role notes (if applicable)
```

## Offboarding checklist (someone is leaving)

- [ ] **Revoke access same-day** — SSO, email, chat, repos, third-party tools, VPN, building badge
- [ ] Transfer ownership of accounts, files, calendars, on-call, vendor logins
- [ ] **Knowledge handoff** — what only this person knew, written down before they go
- [ ] Return equipment; account for company property
- [ ] Final pay, accrued PTO payout, benefits/COBRA notices per local law
- [ ] **Exit conversation** — why they're leaving (the retention data you can't buy)
- [ ] Update headcount + who-owns-what; reassign their responsibilities
- [ ] Employee-record retention/deletion per `../gdpr-privacy/SKILL.md`
