"We should probably have a handbook."
That sentence gets said in every small business in America. Usually in a meeting about something else. Usually right after something went sideways with an employee, and everyone nods, and then nothing happens.
So let's get it off the agenda. There are three ways to do it, and the only real question is how much of the work you want to keep.
| Topic | What Utah requires | Citation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final pay | Within 24 hours when you end the employment. Next regular payday on a resignation. | 34-28-5(1) | Sept 2, 2026 |
| Pregnancy notice | Accommodation rights in the handbook or on a posting. The one place Utah law names the handbook. | 34A-5-106(7)(e) | Sept 2, 2026 |
| E-Verify | 150 or more employees today. 15 or more starting July 1, 2027. The first pass had this wrong, and the record says so. | 13-47-201; 63G-12-301(2) | Corrected Sept 2, 2026 |
Three ways to get it done.
Same starting template in all three. What changes is who does the research, and how much of a record you walk away with.
The Handbook Kit
You do it yourself, with everything you need to finish it.
- Two handbook templates, General Business and All Modules
- A State Law Research Worksheet: eighteen questions to look up, with one state worked as the example
- How to Use This Kit, plus a Before You Publish Checklist
- The acknowledgment form each employee signs
Best for: up to five employees with no HR department.
Get the kitThe Handbook Build
I do the research and write it for how your company actually runs.
- A handbook written for your company, in your branding
- The verification record: every state law finding with its citation and the date it was checked
- A plain guide for whoever keeps it current
- An open items list, and the acknowledgment form
Best for: six or more employees, or any company that wants proof of what was checked.
Start with a callThe Build, reviewed
Everything in the Build, plus an employment attorney's eyes where it counts.
- Everything in the Handbook Build
- Attorney review, coordinated by me
- Scoped to where a lawyer earns the fee: multi-state operations, leave policies, and anything written from scratch
- Not a full read of all fifty pages, so the bill stays reasonable
Best for: people in more than one state, or a company that has already been through an employment claim.
Start with a call| Template | Tailored | Tailored + Attorney | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handbook template | Included | Included | Included |
| State law research | You, with the worksheet | Me, cited and dated | Me, cited and dated |
| Written for your company | You fill it in | Yes, from intake | Yes, from intake |
| Verification record | Not included | Included | Included |
| Attorney review | Not included | Not included | Coordinated by me |
| Price | $349 | Starts at $1,500 | Starts at $2,500 |
What moves the price
Both tailored options start at a price, not a quote, because the work scales with your footprint and I would rather say so here than surprise you later.
- More than one state. Each additional state is its own research pass.
- A city or county with its own employment ordinances. Some do, most do not, and it is worth ten minutes to find out which you are.
- Policies you do not have yet. If you want PTO, remote work, or a performance review process written rather than described, that is drafting, not documenting.
You get a fixed number after intake, before any work starts.
What this is not
LE Parallel Consulting is not a law firm and I am not an attorney. Nothing I deliver is legal advice.
I can tell you what a requirement says, where it is written, and how it is normally handled. I cannot tell you how a court would apply it to your business. Where something is unsettled or I could not confirm it, the verification record says so in those words.
What it does not mean: that you need a lawyer before you can publish a handbook. Most small employers never hire one. When you do want one, that is the third option above.
Why me
I've done the work. I've written a handbook from scratch. As the CHRO for a 500+ employer, I understand the critical nature of a handbook. With my SPHR and Executive MBA, I have the credibility to put my name on it.
How long it takes
5 to 10 business days. Most of that time is getting the information needed to complete it, so the faster your answers come back, the faster your handbook does. Attorney review adds time.
Questions
Do I need an employee handbook in Utah?
No Utah law requires one. One Utah law names the handbook as a place to give a required notice. Without one, every policy lives in someone's memory.
How is the Build different from the Kit?
The Kit is the template plus instructions, and you do the state research yourself with a worksheet. The Build is the same template, plus me doing that research and writing the handbook for your company, plus the record showing what was checked and when. Same starting material. Different amount of your weekend.
We already have a handbook. Can you just review it?
I build fresh rather than editing an existing one. Reviewing somebody else's document means inheriting choices I cannot see the reasoning behind, and it usually takes longer than starting clean. Bring what you have to intake and anything worth keeping gets carried forward.
What if we have people in more than one state?
Each state gets its own research pass, and the handbook carries a state supplement at the back with a short section per state.
What happens when the law changes?
Your packet is dated, which means you can see how old it is. State research gets refreshed twice a year here, so a refresh is available as its own small engagement. Nothing about your handbook expires on its own.
Not sure which one fits?
No charge, no slides. Bring the handbook you have now, even if it's from 2019, and we'll figure out which of these fits.
Book a time