The Sixth Edition of The Hawai'i Model Employee Handbook was designed by Torkildson Katz Moore Hetherington & Harris to assist Hawai'i employers in preparing and implementing an Employee Handbook that best reflects their particular workplace. We are pleased to make The Hawai'i Model Employee Handbook available on-line, which contains the most recent and updated version of sample provisions, which can be downloaded in MS Word format. You also can do keyword searches and read monthly developments in labor and employment law issues relevant to Hawai'i employers.

Our model assumes a hierarchy of authority beginning with a supervisor, followed by a Department Head, a Human Resource Manager, Vice President and President. We use the term "Company" to refer to the employer, but you may insert any appropriate term. The resulting customized Employee Handbook will hopefully provide important information about your employment policies. Each employee given a copy of the handbook should be required to return a signed acknowledgement form; this form should be maintained in the employee's personnel file. It is equally important that you consistently enforce the policies and procedures described in your Handbook. If you fail to do so, it may lead to a claim of favoritism or discriminatory enforcement.