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Small business HR system

HR Operations Binder

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 team the structure it needs.

FormatKit
Contents11 PDF guides, 8 Word documents, 3 Excel workbooks
UseDownload and keep

$79

  • Editable operating files, not a subscription
  • Immediate access through the secure TrueStep HR store
  • Built and reviewed under the published TrueStep HR standard

Digital products carry a 30-day money-back guarantee. General HR information, not legal advice.

Need it working, not sitting in Downloads?

Add a one-hour setup session · $149

Bring the purchased tool and your live situation. A TrueStep HR practitioner helps you set the inputs, make the first decisions, and leave with a usable next step.

See the Setup Session →

What this closes

A practical system that moves the decision into real work.

Set up one employee file today, on the four-file structure in file 12. About fifteen minutes, and the rest of the binder has somewhere to land.

DecisionPrepare for an audit
IndustryCross-industry
Files11 PDF guides, 8 Word documents, 3 Excel workbooks
ReviewBuilt to the published release checks; sources and change notes sit beside the catalog.

What is inside

Every file in the download, by name.

Taken from the kit’s own Start Here guide, so what you see here is what you open after checkout.

Word · editStart Here Guide (file 1): the map for the whole binder and your fifteen-minute setup path.
Excel · useEmployee Records System (file 12): the employee file index, the four-file structure (general, I-9, medical, investigations), and the records retention quick reference.
Word · editOnboarding and New Hire Pack (file 3): first-day and first-week checklists, new-hire information form, equipment and access list, and acknowledgment forms.
Excel · usePTO and Leave Tracker (file 13) and PTO Request Form (file 6): the PTO request form, the accrual and balance tracker, and a simple leave log for the whole team.
Word · editEmployee Change Forms (file 7) and Manager Documentation and Scripts (file 8): status, pay, role, and schedule change forms, plus coaching notes, verbal and written warning forms, a performance review template, and word-for-word scripts for hard conversations.
Word · editOffboarding Pack (file 9) and Index and Contents (file 10): resignation and termination checklists, a final-pay and property-return checklist, and the index that lists every file in the binder.
Excel · useCandidate Tracker (file 11): the tracker that keeps every candidate in a hiring round in one place.
In the kitThe editable versions: Start Here Guide; Onboarding and New Hire Pack; PTO Request Form; Employee Change Forms; Manager Documentation and Scripts; Offboarding Pack; Index and Contents, all in Word, ready to fill in and change. Files 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23.
PDF · readTrueStep HR Product License (file 14) and Using This Workbook in Google Sheets (file 15): the license that governs your purchase, and the guide for working the workbooks in Google Sheets instead of Excel.

How to use it

Your first 15 minutes

Step 1 is the Start Here Guide, file 1. Work down from there, and by step 6 you close the file cleanly.

  1. Read the Start Here Guide (file 1) first. It explains what you bought, how the pieces fit together, and how to set the binder up in about fifteen minutes.

  2. Set up employee records. Open the Employee Records System (file 12) and build one file per person on the four-file structure: general, I-9, medical, and investigations.

  3. Run your next hire through the same path. Use the Onboarding and New Hire Pack (file 3) for the first-day and first-week checklists, the new-hire information form, and the acknowledgment forms.

  4. Track time off. Use the PTO and Leave Tracker (file 13) for accruals and balances, and the PTO Request Form (file 6) for every request.

  5. Document changes and conversations. Use the Employee Change Forms (file 7) for pay, role, schedule, and status changes, and the Manager Documentation and Scripts (file 8) for coaching notes, warnings, and reviews.

  6. Close the file cleanly. Use the Offboarding Pack (file 9) for resignation and termination checklists, final pay, and property return.

HR Operations Binder — the Start Here guide from the download, listing every file and the order to use them.

Before you buy

Clear answers to the practical questions.

The point of a product page is to let you judge the work before checkout.

What exactly do I receive?

11 PDF guides, 8 Word documents, 3 Excel workbooks, each one named in the What is inside section above. The purchase is a download, not a subscription, and the files are yours to keep.

Are these the real screenshots?

Yes. The preview images on this page are taken from the current deliverable, so you can judge the structure and writing before buying.

Can I use the files in my business?

The files are designed to be edited for your own internal operations. Review the included license and have legal counsel check decisions that require jurisdiction-specific advice.

What if I need help applying it?

Use the $149 Setup Session for one hour of implementation help on this tool. TrueStep HR does not offer broader consulting engagements. For a legal question, use qualified counsel.

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