Handle a people situation step by step, in your state

Step-by-step guidance for write-ups, firing and resignations, with your state's rule, the law cited and the document ready to download.

Situations

• DisciplineHow to write up an employee (the right way, in your state)Steps, what to say, verbal warning log and employee write-up form
• PerformanceHow to put an employee on a performance improvement planSteps, what to say, written warning and performance improvement plan
• SeparationHow to fire an employee in your stateSteps, what to say, termination letter and employee offboarding checklist
• SeparationAn employee resigned: what to do nextSteps, what to say, resignation acceptance letter and exit interview form
• AttendanceEmployee no call, no show: what to doSteps, what to say, attendance policy and job abandonment letter
• HiringHow to hire your first employeeSteps, what to say, job offer letter and new hire paperwork checklist
• HiringEmployee onboarding: the 90-day processSteps, what to say, employee onboarding checklist and new hire paperwork checklist

Not sure it is the right situation? What counts as insubordination?

Templates, ready to fill in

18 free templates. Fill them in here and download a .docx or .pdf; nothing you type is sent to us or stored.

• DisciplineEmployee write-up formFill in and download
• DisciplineVerbal warning logFill in and download
• DisciplineWritten warningIncludes the final written warning
• DisciplineSuspension letterFill in and download
• DisciplinePerformance improvement planFill in and download
• SeparationTermination letterFill in and download
• SeparationEmployee offboarding checklistFill in and download
• SeparationResignation acceptance letterIncludes the resignation acceptance email
• SeparationExit interview formFill in and download
• SeparationJob abandonment letterFill in and download
• SeparationTwo weeks notice letterFor the employee who is resigning
• HiringJob offer letterFill in and download
• HiringNew hire paperwork checklistChecklist
• HiringEmployee onboarding checklistChecklist
• Policies and handbookEmployee handbookFill in and download
• Policies and handbookAttendance policyPolicy
• Policies and handbookPTO policyPolicy
• Policies and handbookSick leave policyIncludes the reply to a sick leave request

Laws by state

• By stateState employment rulebooksAll 50 states and DC, each with verified rules
• One ruleFinal paycheck laws by stateEvery state and DC, side by side
• One ruleMeal and rest break laws by stateEvery state and DC, side by side
• One ruleMinimum wage by stateEvery state and DC, side by side
• One rulePaid sick leave laws by stateEvery state and DC, side by side
• One rulePTO payout laws by stateEvery state and DC, side by side
• One ruleAt-will employment by stateEvery state and DC, side by side
• One rulePay frequency (payday) laws by stateEvery state and DC, side by side
• PostersLabor law posters by stateThe official poster page of every state and DC, plus the federal posters

Tools and data

• ToolFinal paycheck deadline calculatorWhen the last paycheck is due, by state and reason for leaving
• Tool1099 contractor or W-2 employee?The questions the IRS and the DOL ask to tell them apart
• ToolEmployment laws by number of employeesWhich federal and state laws apply at your number of employees
• DataWhat gets employers fined: wage and safety violations by industryFederal wage and safety enforcement cases, by industry
• DataWhat changes for employers on January 1, 2027Scheduled state changes, each with its official source

Money

Official figures for your industry and a break-even check, with the source and the period next to every number.

• DataCounty business patterns: your industry in your countyBusinesses, employees and payroll for your industry, from Census and BLS county data
• DataAverage profit margin by industryNet income as a share of sales, computed from IRS tax statistics
• ToolBreak-even point calculatorThe sales you need to cover your costs, with IRS cost ratios for your industry
• ToolProfit margin calculatorGross margin, net margin and markup, compared with the IRS figure for your industry
• All Money pagesThe Money DeskMargins, break-even, your local market

Conversation

Plan what to say before a warning, a PIP or a termination talk, with the federal law cited next to each point to check.

• TemplateDifficult conversations with employees: script templateA script for a hard talk with an employee, with the federal protections to check first

Performance

Write a performance review before a raise, a warning or a PIP, built on the tasks and skills of the employee's own job.

• TemplatePerformance review template for any jobPick the job and rate the tasks and skills that matter for it, from government job data
• All Performance pagesThe Performance DeskPerformance reviews, ratings, PIPs

Pay

Paycheck calculators for each state that show take-home pay and the full employer cost, from the official IRS and state withholding rules, plus an hourly to salary converter.

• CalculatorHourly to salary calculatorYearly, monthly and weekly pay from an hourly rate
• CalculatorTexas paycheck calculatorTake-home pay and employer cost, no state income tax
• CalculatorCalifornia paycheck calculatorState withholding and SDI, plus the employer cost
• CalculatorFlorida paycheck calculatorFederal withholding, FICA and the employer cost
• All statesThe Pay DeskPaychecks by state, take-home and employer cost

How the Desk works

• State rules with sources. A rule is quoted word for word from an official source, checked against a second official source where one exists, and shows the date it was checked. Rules are checked again after 150 days and removed at 180 days if they have not been. How we verify every rule
• Documents stay on your device. The templates are filled in and generated in your browser. We do not receive or store what you type.
• Free, self-help templates. They are starting points in neutral language, not documents prepared for your case. For a situation with legal risk, talk to an employment lawyer.

For developers and AI agents: the verified rules, the templates and the situations are also free static JSON files, with the official source and the verification date on every record. See the Employer Desk API documentation.

Other Desks

• The Hiring DeskJob posts, pay offers, interviews
• The Money DeskMargins, break-even, your local market
• The Conversation DeskHard talks, scripts, retaliation risk
• The Performance DeskPerformance reviews, ratings, PIPs
• The Pay DeskPaychecks by state, take-home and employer cost

Sources (4)

• U.S. Department of Labor: State labor offices
• U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: State labor laws
• EEOC: Small business
• SBA: Hire and manage employees