Handbookly state guide
Texas Employee Handbook Requirements: Required Policies, Posters & Notices
What Texas law actually requires in an employee handbook: required policies with citations, headcount thresholds, and the mandatory poster list — plus the federal baseline every employer owes.
Required at any size in Texas
These policies cover legal requirements that apply to every Texas employer, regardless of headcount. Each row cites the law that creates the requirement.
| Policy | Legal basis | Applies at | What it must cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payday & wage payment policy | Tex. Lab. Code §§ 61.011–61.014 (Texas Payday Law) | all sizes | Paydays at least monthly for overtime-exempt employees and at least twice a month for everyone else (§ 61.011); paydays must be posted in a conspicuous place at the workplace (§ 61.012); final-pay deadlines (§ 61.014). The handbook should state the pay schedule. |
Required above a headcount threshold
These requirements bind only once your Texas team reaches the stated size. Below the threshold the same policy is a best practice, not a mandate.
| Policy | Legal basis | Applies at | What it must cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equal employment opportunity policy | Tex. Lab. Code § 21.001 et seq. (Texas Commission on Human Rights Act) | 15+ employees | State discrimination law binds at 15+ employees, matching Title VII; its sexual-harassment provisions reach employers with 1+ employees. EEO policy recommended below 15. |
Best practice at every size
No Texas law requires these policies. Most employers still include them, so the handbook drafts them and labels them best practice.
| Policy | Legal basis | Applies at | What it must cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| At-will employment disclaimer | No statute requires this policy; Texas follows the common-law at-will employment rule | best practice at every size | No Texas law requires an at-will disclaimer. Texas employment is at will, and a disclaimer states that the handbook is not an employment contract. |
The federal baseline
Federal law applies on top of state law, in every state.
| Policy | Legal basis | Applies at | What it must cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equal employment opportunity & anti-discrimination policy | Title VII of the Civil Rights Act; the ADA (15+ employees); the ADEA (20+) | 15+ employees | Federal discrimination law binds at 15+ employees; a written EEO policy is the standard compliance posture at every size. |
| Pay practices (FLSA) section | Fair Labor Standards Act (recordkeeping & minimum wage/overtime) | all sizes | The FLSA does not mandate a written policy, but pay schedule, classification, and overtime rules belong in every handbook. |
Required posters & notices in Texas
Posting is a separate legal obligation from having written policies. Download current versions free from each issuing agency.
Texas Payday Law poster
Texas Workforce Commission
Workers' Compensation notice
Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation
Texas Ombudsman Program notice
Texas Department of Insurance
Leave laws to know
Texas has no state paid-leave or sick-leave mandates; the handbook's leave section is employer-defined, which makes careful drafting more important, not less.
Get the complete Texas handbook pack
Answer a few questions and get a complete employee handbook for your Texas business: every required policy above drafted for your headcount and marked required or best practice, the poster checklist, and an employee acknowledgment form. $249, one time.
Frequently asked questions
Does Texas require an employee handbook?
No US state requires a handbook document itself — but Texas law imposes specific requirements and notices (this page lists 1 that apply at any size, each with its citation), and the handbook is where employers conventionally publish them. A written policy is also a record you can point to in a dispute.
Which policies are legally required in Texas?
Payday & wage payment policy (Tex. Lab. Code §§ 61.011–61.014 (Texas Payday Law)). Requirements that only bind above a headcount threshold are listed separately on this page. Federal requirements — like EEO under Title VII at 15+ employees — apply on top of Texas law.
What posters must a Texas employer display?
Texas requires: Texas Payday Law poster (Texas Workforce Commission); Workers' Compensation notice (Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation); Texas Ombudsman Program notice (Texas Department of Insurance). Federal posters — the FLSA minimum-wage poster, the EEOC "Know Your Rights" poster, and the OSHA "Job Safety and Health" poster — are required on top of these.
Is this legal advice?
No. This page is informational document preparation built from public statutes and agency publications, each linked below. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. For a specific dispute or a complex workforce, consult an employment attorney licensed in Texas.
Sources
Informational document preparation from public statutes and agency publications — not legal advice. Laws change; verify current requirements with the agencies above.