Publish and share your handbook

1. 1

   Review your content

   Before publishing, make sure your handbook is complete:

   • All legally required policies are in place
   • Policies have been reviewed and approved
   • The introduction (header) is set
   • The footer and acknowledgement are set
2. 2

   Go to the Handbook page

   Open Handbook in the sidebar. This is where you manage your introduction, footer and versions.
3. 3

   Click "Generate Version"

   Clicking "Generate Version" will:

   • Create a new numbered version (v1, v2, v3 and so on)
   • Compile all policies with your introduction and footer
   • Format the document with numbering and a table of contents
   • Make the new version available to the Handbook Chatbot
4. 4

   Your version is ready

   The new version is available for download and sharing. The Handbook Chatbot uses it automatically when answering questions.

Once you have generated a version, you can export it in two formats:

Microsoft Word (.docx)

A formatted Word document with headers and page breaks, suitable for printing or further editing.

PDF

A branded PDF with a cover page, table of contents and running headers, ready to share with employees or auditors.

There are several ways to share your handbook with employees:

Download and distribute

Export as Microsoft Word or PDF, then upload to your intranet or SharePoint, or email it to employees.

Published handbook view

The Published Handbook page gives a read-only, searchable view of your latest version for employee self-service.

Handbook Chatbot

Employees can ask the chatbot questions and get answers from the latest published version without reading the whole document.

All previous versions are stored and accessible from the Handbook page:

View any version

Click a version to see exactly what was published at that time.

Download previous versions

Export any version as Microsoft Word or PDF, not just the latest.

Track publication dates

See when each version was generated for audit purposes.

Generate a new version whenever you make significant changes.

Publish

• After adding new policies
• After major policy updates
• After compliance reviews
• Annually, at minimum
• After legal changes (for example ERA 2025)

No need to publish

• For minor typo fixes
• While policies are still in draft
• For internal review copies

Communicate changes

When you publish a new version, let employees know what has changed. Consider adding a "What's New" summary to your email distribution.

Use consistent naming

Versions are numbered automatically (v1, v2, v3 and so on), but add the date to filenames when distributing: "Employee_Handbook_v3_Jul2026.docx".

Archive old distributions

Keep copies of what was distributed to employees. It helps if there is ever a dispute about which policies were in force.

Employee acknowledgement

After distributing a new version, have employees sign an acknowledgement that they have received and read the updated handbook.