A done-for-you starter HR system, the binder a seasoned HR manager would build in their first week, handed to you ready to use. Eleven files organized around the employee lifecycle give a small business the structure to hire, onboard, keep records, track time and PTO, document changes, and offboard cleanly, without buying HR software or hiring a dedicated HR person.
Eleven files organized by the employee lifecycle
A Start Here Guide is the front of the binder, and the rest run left to right from hire to offboard.
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Start Here Guide and Index and Contents. The front of the binder: what you bought, how the pieces fit, a fifteen-minute setup, and a map to every file.
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Hiring and Offer Pack and Candidate Tracker. A consistent process from offer through the first week, with a Candidate Tracker in Excel to run the pipeline.
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Onboarding and New Hire Pack. A repeatable first-week onboarding process for every new hire.
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Employee Records System. An Excel system for a complete, organized file per person, built around keeping the right records separate.
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PTO and Leave Tracker and PTO Request Form. Simple logs and a request form for attendance, hours, and time off.
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Employee Change Forms. A clear paper trail for pay, role, schedule, and status changes.
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Manager Documentation and Scripts. Manager scripts and documentation forms that keep performance and conduct records fact-based.
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Offboarding Pack. A checklist that closes the file cleanly whether someone resigns or is let go.
How to set it up in about fifteen minutes
Personalize once, list your people, then start a file for the first one or two.
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Personalize once with Find and Replace. Replace the business-wide placeholders one time, for example the company name, state, owner, and contact email, so you do not retype them in every file.
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List your team and start a file. Add everyone to the master roster, then set up the records files for your first one or two people using the file structure and move their existing paperwork in.
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Keep a clean master. Leave the originals untouched and work from a copy, so a single mistake never costs you the template, then bookmark the sections you will use most.
Built on real practice and honest about its limits
This gives a small business the structure it has been missing; every template is a starting point, not a finished legal document.
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Structure and process, not software. You own the files, edit them to fit, reuse them as often as you need, and nothing expires.
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Records done the right way. The system keeps the right files separate and points you to keeping records for the right length of time.
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A starting point, not a ruling. Before you rely on anything that touches hiring, pay, leave, discipline, termination, or classification, have a licensed employment attorney or HR professional in your state review it.
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Yours to keep and rebrand. The documents open in Word, Google Docs, and Pages, the trackers in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers, and LibreOffice, with no account required.
Who it is built for and where to go if that is not you
Built for
- A small business owner who just hired employee number two, three, or four and realizes there is no system.
- An office manager or operator who got handed HR on top of everything else.
- A first-time HR admin who needs a credible starting point and a way to look organized from day one.
If you are looking for
- An employee handbook and the foundation policies. The Small Business HR Policy Starter Pack covers those.
- The deeper manager playbook, scripts, and one-on-one system. The People Manager Toolkit goes further there.
Before you buy
What format is it and can I edit it?
Editable Word documents and Excel trackers, organized into the eleven numbered files. Everything is yours to keep and edit, with no software or account required.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is practical guidance and general information, not legal or tax advice. Employment rules differ by federal, state, and local jurisdiction and change over time.
Is this a subscription?
No. It is a one-time purchase and nothing expires. Because employment rules change, treat the binder as a living system and re-check the date-sensitive items, especially retention periods and anything state-specific, each year.
Is this enough if I already have an HR platform?
If you already have a full HR team and an HR platform, this binder is below your level. It is built for a company running HR out of an inbox, sticky notes, and memory.
What is the refund policy?
Digital products are covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee. See the refund policy for the full terms.
What happens after I buy?
Checkout delivers an instant download link, and a receipt with the same link arrives by email. Open the Start Here Guide first; it sets up the binder in about fifteen minutes. If a file gives you trouble, email support@truestephr.com.
Practical guidance and general information, not legal or tax advice. Every template is a starting point, not a finished legal document, so before you rely on anything that touches hiring, pay, leave, discipline, termination, or classification, have a licensed employment attorney or HR professional in your state review it. Last reviewed June 2026.
