Tennessee employee handbook

Disclaimer: The content provided below is for informational purposes only and does not substitute legal advice.

Last updated October, 2026

Tennessee Employee Handbook Overview

Whether all your employees work in Tennessee or only a few do, your handbook should explain the federal and Tennessee policies that apply to them. If you employ people in other states, include the policies that apply in those locations as well.

Below are key Tennessee policies, core federal policies, and other provisions to consider as you build your handbook.

What should be included in a Tennessee employee handbook?

The policies you need depend on your workforce, industry, and benefits. These Tennessee-specific points are a good place to start:

• Tennessee Equal Employment Opportunity Policy: Tennessee’s Human Rights Act prohibits employers with eight or more employees in the state from discriminating based on race, creed, color, religion, sex, age 40 or older, or national origin. The Tennessee Disability Act separately protects employees from disability discrimination. These rules apply to decisions such as hiring, pay, promotion, and termination.
• Tennessee Veterans Day Leave Policy: Employers must allow an eligible veteran employee to take all of November 11 as an unpaid holiday if the employee gives at least one month’s written notice and proof of veteran status. The leave need not be granted if the absence would affect public health or safety or cause significant economic or operational disruption, as determined by the employer. Employers may choose to pay for the holiday.
• Tennessee Meal and Rest Periods Policy: Employees scheduled for six consecutive hours must generally receive a 30-minute unpaid meal or rest period. The period cannot be scheduled during the first hour of work. An exception applies when the nature of the job provides ample opportunity to rest or take an appropriate break. Tennessee does not require additional adult rest breaks.
• Tennessee Wage Payment and Final Pay Policy: Earned wages generally must be paid no later than the next regular payday after an employee leaves or is discharged, or 21 days after separation, whichever is later. For piecework and commission compensation earned on or after July 1, 2026, a separate rule generally sets payment by the last day of the following month, including when employment ends.
• Tennessee Volunteer Emergency Responder Policy: Employers cannot terminate a volunteer firefighter solely because an emergency response before a scheduled shift makes the employee late or absent. Tennessee also provides pre-shift protection for volunteer rescue squad workers. Employees should make a reasonable effort to give notice, and employers may request verification. An employer may permit an active volunteer firefighter to leave during a scheduled shift to answer a fire call, but the law does not require that leave.
• Tennessee Lactation Accommodations Policy: Employers must provide reasonable unpaid break time each day for an employee to express milk for an infant, unless doing so would unduly disrupt operations. Breaks should run alongside existing breaks when possible. Employers must also make reasonable efforts to provide a nearby private place other than a toilet stall.
• Tennessee Pregnancy Accommodations Policy: Employers with 15 or more employees must provide reasonable accommodations for medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions unless doing so would cause an undue hardship. An employer cannot require leave when another reasonable accommodation is available.
• Tennessee Maternity and Adoption Leave Policy: At a job site with at least 100 permanent full-time employees, an employee who has worked full time for the same employer for 12 consecutive months may take up to four months of leave for adoption, pregnancy, childbirth, or nursing an infant. The employer may make the leave paid or unpaid. Employees generally must give three months’ advance notice to preserve reinstatement rights, with exceptions for medical emergencies and short-notice adoptions. Tennessee law says this provision must be included in an employee handbook the employer publishes.
• Tennessee Voting Leave Policy: Eligible employees may take a reasonable amount of paid time, up to three hours, to vote while polls are open. They must request the time before noon on the day before the election; the law does not require a written request. The employer may choose the hours. Leave is not required when the employee’s schedule already allows at least three hours while polls are open before or after work.
• Tennessee Jury Duty Policy: Employers must excuse employees for qualifying jury service after they present their summons. Employers with five or more regular employees must generally pay the employee’s usual compensation for time actually spent serving and traveling to and from jury duty, although they may deduct jury fees paid by the court. A temporary employee who has worked for less than six months is excluded from the pay requirement.
• Tennessee Immigration Law Compliance Policy: Private employers with 35 or more full-time-equivalent employees under the same federal employer identification number must use E-Verify for new hires and retain the case results. Smaller employers covered by the Tennessee Lawful Employment Act may use E-Verify or obtain and retain authorized identity and work-eligibility documents. Beginning January 1, 2027, the Act’s private-employer coverage expands to employers with at least one employee.
• Tennessee Whistleblower Policy: Employers may not terminate an employee solely for refusing to participate in, or refusing to remain silent about, illegal activity. A policy should give employees a way to raise concerns with someone other than the person alleged to have committed the wrongdoing.

Federal Policies

Don’t forget federal policies. Which ones apply depends on factors such as your number of employees and whether you are a federal contractor.

Core federal policies

• Equal Employment Opportunity and Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Anti-Harassment and Complaint Procedure
• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Policy, where applicable
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Reasonable Accommodation Policy
• Pregnant Workers Fairness Act accommodations, where applicable
• Military Service Leave (USERRA)
• Wage and Hour Compliance Policy (FLSA)
• Applicable federal-contractor policies, such as pay transparency, whistleblower protection, and drug-free workplace rules

Highly recommended policies

• At-Will Employment Notice
• 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 consider

• Industry-specific policies
• Sick Leave, Vacation Leave, and PTO Policy
• Company Vehicles Policy
• Punctuality and Attendance
• Benefits
• Work 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

Choose the provisions that fit your business when you use the handbook builder.

Poster Requirements

Labor law posters tell employees about their workplace rights. You need to display the federal and Tennessee notices that apply to your business.

Why should I care about displaying posters?

Missing or outdated required notices can lead to penalties and leave employees without information they are entitled to receive. Review your posters when your business changes or an agency issues a new version.

What are the requirements for displaying labor law posters?

Required physical posters should be placed where employees can readily see them, such as a break room or near a time clock. Some notices must also be available to applicants. Electronic access may meet certain federal posting requirements for remote employees, but it depends on the notice and how employees receive workplace information. The U.S. Department of Labor’s electronic posting guidance explains when electronic posting can be used.

What labor law posters do I need to display?

The answer depends on your business. You can get the required notices for free from government agencies.

• Federal poster requirements: Use the U.S. Department of Labor Poster Advisor to identify the federal notices that apply to you.
• Tennessee labor law poster requirements: The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development provides free state posters, including notices covering workplace safety, unemployment insurance, wage regulation and child labor, and workers’ compensation. Check the agency’s list to see which versions your workplace needs.

How to create a Tennessee Employee Handbook?

An employee handbook helps your team understand how your workplace operates and where to find the policies that apply to them. Getting it right means accounting for your company’s practices alongside current federal and Tennessee law.

You can draft one yourself or work with an attorney. Handbooks.io offers another starting point: answer questions about your business, select the policies you need, and create an editable handbook you can review and maintain as your workplace changes.

Get started on building your handbook

Creating a handbook begins with a few questions about your company, such as:

• How many employees do you have?
• Do you have employees in multiple states?
• Do you have an introductory period?
• Do you offer paid holidays?
• What is your payroll schedule?

Create your Tennessee employee handbook now!