Disclaimer: The content provided below is for informational purposes only and does not substitute legal advice.
Last updated April, 2026
Delaware employee handbook overview
When it comes to building your Delaware employee handbook, you must be sure to include both state-specific and federal policies. Whether all of your employees are based in Delaware or only a handful, you will need to provide a Delaware-specific handbook to ensure your employees know the policies and rights entitled to them by their state.
What should be included in a Delaware employee handbook?
Every handbook should include Federal, State, and (if applicable) City-specific policies. Below are Delaware-specific policies that should be included in your handbook.
- Delaware Paid Family and Medical Leave: Effective January 1, 2026, employees can receive paid leave to care for themselves or family members for various reasons, including serious health conditions, the birth or adoption of a child, or military deployments.
- Delaware Equal Pay Policy: Employers may not pay employees less based on sex or gender identity for substantially similar work. Employers may not screen applicants based on salary history or prohibit employees from discussing wages.
- Delaware Personnel File Access Policy: Employees have the right to inspect their personnel files to determine their qualifications for employment, promotion, additional compensation, termination, or disciplinary action. Companies can limit and supervise this access.
- Delaware Lactation Accommodations: Companies must make reasonable accommodations for Delaware employees who wish to express breastmilk.
- Delaware Discrimination in Employment Policy: Delaware prohibits discrimination against applicants or employees based on protected classes in the Delaware Discrimination in Employment Act (DDEA).
- Delaware Meal Breaks Policy: Employers are required to provide meal breaks of at least 30 minutes for all employees. The break must take place after the first two and before the last two hours of the day.
- Delaware Jury Duty Leave: Employees who serve as jurors are required to be paid a per diem rate of $20 as an allowance for reimbursement for travel, parking, and other out-of-pocket expenses when they serve more than one day.
- Delaware Whistleblowers’ Protection: Employees are protected from retaliation when they report or refuse to participate in illegal activities.
- Delaware Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault Accommodations Policy: Employers are required to provide employees who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking with reasonable accommodations.
- Delaware Pregnancy Accommodations Policy: Reasonable accommodations are provided for employees recovering from pregnancy , childbirth, lactation, or a related medical condition. Employers cannot discriminate against an employee who has any of these conditions.
- Delaware Emergency Response Leave Policy: Employers with 10 or more employees must provide unpaid leave for volunteer emergency responders .
- Delaware Social Media Access Policy: Employers cannot require employees' account details for their social media accounts.
- Delaware Final Paycheck Policy: When an employee quits, resigns, is fired, or is laid off, the company must pay the final wages to the employee on the later of the employee’s next scheduled pay date or three business days after the employee’s last day of employment.
- Delaware Sexual Harassment Training Policy: Employers must provide every employee with sexual harassment training within one year of hiring. The training must be repeated every 2 years. This policy applies to companies with 50 or more employees.
- Delaware Crime Victim Leave Policy: Employers may not penalize employees who are crime victims for attending court proceedings related to the crime.
- Delaware Military Leave Policy: Employers must grant leave to employees called to military service and reinstate them upon return with full seniority and benefits. State employees receive up to 22 days of paid military leave per year.
- Delaware Voting Leave Policy: Employers must provide employees with up to two hours of paid leave to vote on election day if the employee does not have two consecutive non-working hours while polls are open.
- Delaware Cannabis Use Discrimination Policy: Employers may not discriminate against applicants or employees based on their status as a lawful marijuana cardholder, though employers may still enforce drug-free workplace policies for safety-sensitive positions.
Federal Policies
Don’t forget about the federal policies
There are policies that should be included in every handbook to comply with US labor and employment law. Many states require additional provisions. However, this list includes core federal requirements and best practices applicable to most businesses.
Core federal policies
- Equal Employment Opportunity and Anti-Discrimination Policy Show me!
- Anti-Harassment and Complaint Procedure Show me!
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Policy Show me!
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) & Reasonable Accommodation Policy
- Military Service Leave (USERRA)
- Wage and Hour Compliance Policy (FSLA)
- At-Will Employment Notice Show me!
- Polices if you employ federal contractors (Pay Transparency Policy, Whistleblower Protection, Drug-free Workplace Policy)
Highly recommended policies
- Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
- Code of Conduct Policy
- Nursing Parents Policy
- Conflict of Interest and Business Ethics
- Disciplinary Procedures
- Use of Company Property
- Employee Classification and Pay Practices
- Health and Safety Policy
- Confidential Company Information
- Open Door Policy
- Receipt of Non-Harassment Policy
- Use of Communication and Computer Systems
- Workplace Searches and Inspections
Additional policies to include
- Industry-specific policies
- Sick Leave, Vacation Leave, PTO policy
- Company Vehicles Policy
- Punctuality and Attendance
- Benefits
- Working Schedule
- Employment Records
- Smoking
- Overtime
- Performance Reviews
- Social Media Policy
- Remote Work Policy
- Introductory Period Policy
- References
- Hiring Relatives and Significant Others
- Business Expense Reimbursement
Get all recommended policies from the free handbook builder.
Poster Requirements
Understanding labor law poster requirements can be a bit like trying to decode a complex puzzle. You need to comply with both state and federal requirements.
Why Should I Care About Displaying Posters?
You might be wondering why it's so important to display these posters in the first place. State and Federal laws mandate that employers must have up-to-date labor law posters conspicuously displayed for their employees. Failing to do so not only results in steep fines (up to $35,000 in federal fines and additional state fines) but also exposes you to real liability.
Consider this scenario: if an employee decides to bring a lawsuit against your company, and you don't have the required posters or they are outdated, you could face even more significant problems:
Statute of Limitations: Normally, there's a limited window within which an employee can file a lawsuit against you. However, if you didn't inform your employees of their rights through proper poster display, a court might decide that the statute of limitations doesn't apply.
Operating in Bad Faith: Courts may determine that you were intentionally withholding information from your employees, which could lead to a finding that you were operating in bad faith. This can substantially increase your liability.
What Are the Requirements for Displaying Labor Law Posters?
Labor law posters must be displayed at every physical location where you have employees, and they need to be conspicuously displayed for all to see.
- If you have a hybrid workplace with both in-person and remote employees, you'll need physical posters at your facilities and electronic distribution to your off-site workers.
- For fully remote companies, you can distribute posters electronically by sharing a permanent link to the appropriate posters.
- Some posters also need to be visible to job applicants, such as FMLA, Equal Employment Opportunity, and Employee Polygraph Protection posters, as per the guidance provided by the Department of Labor.
What Labor Law Posters Do I Need to Display?
You'll need both Federal and State labor law posters for each state where you have employees. The good news is that all the posters you need are provided for free by the federal government and state departments of labor. You've probably seen those convenient "all-in-one" laminated posters, but if you prefer, everything you need is also available as a free, printable document from the Delaware Department of Labor.
Federal Poster Requirements
Determining which federal posters you're required to display can be influenced by various factors, including your industry, the size of your company, benefits you provide and union affiliation.
The good news is that there's a handy tool to help you understand precisely which federal posters your company needs. You can use the Federal Poster Advisor tool to determine your specific federal poster requirements.
Delaware Labor Law Poster Requirements
You can refer to the Delaware Department of Labor for free, printable posters.
Download Delaware labor law posters here
How to create an Delaware Employee Handbook
An employee handbook isn't just a formality, it's the foundation of a well-run company. But getting it right means more than putting words on paper. Your handbook needs to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, and it needs to stay current as those laws change.
When it comes to building a legally sound, state-specific handbook, most companies face the same tough choice: hire an attorney to draft one from scratch, or try to do it yourself. The first option is expensive and time-consuming. The second is risky, especially if you're relying on generic, one-size-fits-all templates found online.
That's where Handbooks.io comes in.
Handbooks.io is an employee handbook builder trusted by many companies to create polished, fully compliant handbooks, without the legal fees or guesswork. Answer a short survey about your company, and a tailored handbook is generated in no time. It's everything you need to create, maintain, and distribute a professional employee handbook, all in one place. Let’s build this thing!
Get started on building your handbook
Creating a new handbook only takes a few minutes. And it’s easy. You can get started by answering a few interactive questions about your company. A few examples:
- How many employees do you have?
- Do you have employees in multiple states?
- Do you have an introductory period for new employees?
- Do you offer paid holidays?
- What is your payroll schedule?