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Worker-Owner Policy Handbook Template

A sample employee and worker-owner handbook template for existing worker cooperatives.

Source: Democracy at Work InstituteAdded June 12, 2026Published 2012
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Why it matters

Democratic ownership depends on clear expectations. A policy handbook helps translate member rights, responsibilities, and workplace policies into an accessible operating document.

Best for

Existing worker co-ops formalizing policies, onboarding, and member expectations.

This free, editable 2012 Word document is a sample employee handbook for an operating worker cooperative. It is useful for seeing how one co-op organized member expectations and workplace policies and for building a checklist of topics a new handbook may need to address.

It is not a current employment-policy template. Do not adopt its leave, wage-and-hour, discipline, safety, benefits, privacy, or other legal language without rewriting it for the cooperative's workforce, practices, contracts, and current jurisdiction-specific requirements with qualified support.

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